PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — You may have heard the statement, "We can't eradicate a virus if we don't achieve herd immunity." The concept sounds simple, but it is extremely complex.
Most people believe that herd immunity is the threshold of people who need to be vaccinated to achieve the goal of eliminating a virus and keeping people disease-free.
This depends on the virus we are attacking. Measles, polio and smallpox are examples of viruses where we can do that. In the case of COVID-19 and the flu, the pathogens mutate way too often and we can only hope our vaccines help reduce the spread or help our immune systems fight against the invaders.
When people refuse COVID and flu vaccines, the risk is highest in those who make the choice. When they refuse vaccines for polio and the viruses we have essentially eradicated, it puts everyone at risk.
Get more medical reports from Dr. Brian McDonough.
KYW Newsradio's Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.
