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Current Biology : CB Feb 2021Herd immunity is an important yet often misunderstood concept in epidemiology. As immunity accumulates in a population - naturally during the course of an epidemic or...
Herd immunity is an important yet often misunderstood concept in epidemiology. As immunity accumulates in a population - naturally during the course of an epidemic or through vaccination - the spread of an infectious disease is limited by the depletion of susceptible hosts. If a sufficient proportion of the population is immune - above the 'herd immunity threshold' - then transmission generally cannot be sustained. Maintaining herd immunity is therefore critical to long-term disease control. In this primer, we discuss the concept of herd immunity from first principles, clarify common misconceptions, and consider the implications for disease control.
Topics: Animals; Communicable Disease Control; Epidemics; Humans; Immunity, Herd; Mice; Vaccination
PubMed: 33621500
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.01.006 -
Ciencia & Saude Coletiva May 2022Although communicable diseases affect our bodies, they occur in a society that interprets and gives them meaning. Herd immunity provides the body protection; however,...
Although communicable diseases affect our bodies, they occur in a society that interprets and gives them meaning. Herd immunity provides the body protection; however, long-term protection requires shifts in the way people interpret and respond to disease, cultural transformation that enables the development of the knowledge, habits and skills that make herd immunity feasible and sustainable. Herd culture allows individuals to protect themselves and restrict their liberty in order to protect others; it is a form of exercising positive liberty and a necessary complement to herd immunity in a democratic society.
Topics: Communicable Diseases; Exercise; Humans; Immunity, Herd; Records; Vaccination
PubMed: 35544813
DOI: 10.1590/1413-81232022275.01792022 -
Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics 2019Currently, many countries are dealing with groups refusing available recommended vaccinations. Despite several studies having demonstrated the efficacy of mandatory...
Currently, many countries are dealing with groups refusing available recommended vaccinations. Despite several studies having demonstrated the efficacy of mandatory vaccinations in ensuring herd immunity, opposition is widespread. The aim of our study was to systematically review published studies evaluating attitudes towards mandatory vaccination programs. PubMed and Scopus scientific databases were searched and 4,198 results were returned, of these 29 met the inclusion criteria. Twenty-two studies assessed attitudes towards mandatory vaccination programs in general, while 9 papers focused specifically on the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine. Most of the studies were performed in Europe and North America. According to the assessed studies, the majority of the population seems to be in favour of compulsory vaccinations, although attitudes differed among studies. The results presented in this review could be an important starting point to further understand the issue of vaccine hesitancy and support the implementation of effective vaccination strategies.
Topics: Europe; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Immunity, Herd; Immunization Programs; Mandatory Programs; North America; Vaccination; Vaccination Refusal; Vaccines
PubMed: 30633626
DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2018.1564437 -
American Journal of Clinical Pathology Mar 2021
Topics: COVID-19; COVID-19 Vaccines; Global Health; Humans; Immunity, Herd
PubMed: 33399182
DOI: 10.1093/ajcp/aqaa272 -
Comptes Rendus Biologies Jun 2021Immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus ensures protection against reinfection by this virus thanks to the combined action of neutralizing antibodies and T lymphocytes specific...
Immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus ensures protection against reinfection by this virus thanks to the combined action of neutralizing antibodies and T lymphocytes specific to viral proteins, in particular the Spike protein. It must be distinguished from the immune response that ensures healing of the infection following contamination that involves innate immunity, particularly type 1 interferons, and which is followed by adaptive cellular and humoral immunity. The importance of the effect of interferons is highlighted by the occurrence of severe forms of the disease in genetically deficient subjects or in patients with antibodies neutralizing type 1 interferon. Herd immunity is not an individual biological property. It is a mathematical property that qualifies the fact that when the proportion of subjects with individual immunity is high enough, there is little chance that an epidemic can occur. The level of that proportion-the herd immunity of the population can be computed under theoretical, often unrealistic, hypotheses, and is difficult to assess in natural conditions.
Topics: Antibodies, Neutralizing; COVID-19; Humans; Immunity, Herd; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 34213845
DOI: 10.5802/crbiol.41 -
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical... Jul 2018
Topics: Communicable Disease Control; Global Health; Humans; Immunity, Herd; Vaccination
PubMed: 29803799
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2018.05.007 -
European Review For Medical and... Apr 2020
Topics: Betacoronavirus; COVID-19; Coronavirus Infections; Humans; Immunity, Herd; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral; SARS-CoV-2; United Kingdom
PubMed: 32374011
DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202004_20978 -
Immunity May 2020The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its associated disease, COVID-19, has demonstrated the devastating impact of a novel,... (Review)
Review
The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its associated disease, COVID-19, has demonstrated the devastating impact of a novel, infectious pathogen on a susceptible population. Here, we explain the basic concepts of herd immunity and discuss its implications in the context of COVID-19.
Topics: Basic Reproduction Number; Betacoronavirus; COVID-19; Coronavirus Infections; Global Health; Humans; Immunity, Herd; Models, Immunological; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral; SARS-CoV-2; Vaccination; Vaccination Coverage
PubMed: 32433946
DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2020.04.012 -
Trends in Microbiology Jan 2018Genetic engineering now enables the design of live viral vaccines that are potentially transmissible. Some designs merely modify a single viral genome to improve on the... (Review)
Review
Genetic engineering now enables the design of live viral vaccines that are potentially transmissible. Some designs merely modify a single viral genome to improve on the age-old method of attenuation whereas other designs create chimeras of viral genomes. Transmission has the benefit of increasing herd immunity above that achieved by direct vaccination alone but also increases the opportunity for vaccine evolution, which typically undermines vaccine utility. Different designs have different epidemiological consequences but also experience different evolution. Approaches that integrate vaccine engineering with an understanding of evolution and epidemiology will reap the greatest benefit from vaccine transmission.
Topics: Communicable Disease Control; Cross Reactions; Disease Eradication; Epidemiology; Genetic Engineering; Humans; Immunity, Herd; Models, Theoretical; Vaccination; Vaccines, Attenuated; Vaccines, Synthetic; Viral Vaccines; Viruses
PubMed: 29033339
DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2017.09.007 -
Lancet (London, England) Nov 2020
Topics: Confusion; Humans; Immunity, Herd; Vaccination
PubMed: 33228920
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32167-X