COVID-19 herd immunity: where are we?

Nat Rev Immunol. 2020 Oct;20(10):583-584. doi: 10.1038/s41577-020-00451-5.

Abstract

Herd immunity is a key concept for epidemic control. It states that only a proportion of a population needs to be immune (through overcoming natural infection or through vaccination) to an infectious agent for it to stop generating large outbreaks. A key question in the current COVID-19 pandemic is how and when herd immunity can be achieved and at what cost.

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Viral / biosynthesis
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • B-Lymphocytes / virology
  • Betacoronavirus / immunology*
  • Betacoronavirus / pathogenicity
  • COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Vaccines
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology*
  • Coronavirus Infections / immunology
  • Coronavirus Infections / prevention & control*
  • Coronavirus Infections / virology
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Cellular / drug effects
  • Immunity, Herd*
  • Immunity, Humoral / drug effects
  • Immunologic Memory / drug effects
  • Mass Vaccination
  • Pandemics / prevention & control*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / immunology
  • Pneumonia, Viral / prevention & control*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / virology
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / virology
  • Time Factors
  • Viral Vaccines / administration & dosage*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • COVID-19 Vaccines
  • Viral Vaccines