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For a long time, herd immunity was considered the way out of the pandemic. In the meantime, this hope has evaporated among many experts. Who is it?
In the case of Covid-19, individual protection against a serious illness through vaccination is very high - around 93 percent. However, the protection against infection with Omikron is significantly lower - the vaccines do not produce sterile immunity. This means that while they generate an immune response that stops the disease , it is often not enough to completely eliminate the virus. Even if a vaccinated person shows no symptoms, they can pass the virus on to others.
By Lisa Schmierer, SWR
The head of the Robert Koch Institute Lothar Wieler removed the word herd immunity from his vocabulary in relation to Covid-19 back in November. The virus will not disappear completely, he said at a federal press conference.
Herd immunity means that a large part of the population is immune to a pathogen, so that the chains of infection break off early. This protects non-immune people from infection. Andreas Scheuch, aerosol researcher and physicist, shares Wieler's assessment: Herd immunity cannot be achieved with the currently approved vaccines.
"A person who is not vaccinated and is only surrounded by vaccinated people is not protected at all because the vaccinated people can still be carriers of the virus ."
In the case of Covid-19, individual protection against a serious illness through vaccination is very high - around 93 percent. However, the protection against infection with Omikron is significantly lower - the vaccines do not produce sterile immunity. This means that while they generate an immune response that stops the disease , it is often not enough to completely eliminate the virus. Even if a vaccinated person shows no symptoms, they can pass the virus on to others.
By Lisa Schmierer, SWR
The head of the Robert Koch Institute Lothar Wieler removed the word herd immunity from his vocabulary in relation to Covid-19 back in November. The virus will not disappear completely, he said at a federal press conference.
Herd immunity means that a large part of the population is immune to a pathogen, so that the chains of infection break off early. This protects non-immune people from infection. Andreas Scheuch, aerosol researcher and physicist, shares Wieler's assessment: Herd immunity cannot be achieved with the currently approved vaccines.
"A person who is not vaccinated and is only surrounded by vaccinated people is not protected at all because the vaccinated people can still be carriers of the virus ."
