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Before the public does not even start to be vaccinated against Covid, experts emphasized the importance ofReach the immunity of the flock In order to finally end the pandemic. The concept refers to the phase in which sufficient people in a population are protected from a virus, or because of a natural infection or vaccination, so that it can no longer spread. However, now it looks more and more like the flock of immunity may not be possible because of the very contagiousDelta variant It has become the most dominant strain of Covid in the United States, but it is not necessarily the increased transmissibility of the variant that is the problem, according to experts.

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Earlier in the pandemic, Covid Councilor of the White HouseAnthony Fauci, MD, said he believed that the flock of immunity would be reached when about 70% of the population had been infected by Covid or become vaccinated, but he continually increased the percentage over time. In April,The New York Times reported that Fauci landed on the idea that somewhere near90% of people would need to get Covid or their shots to reach the immunity of the flock. In May, as it became clearVaccination rates slowed down, the conversation started to change. "People had to be confused and thought you would never have the infections until you reach this mystical level of herd immunity, regardless of this number," said FauciThe New York Times. "That's why weOrder to use a flock immunity in the classic sense. "

Enter the Delta variant, which changed the price of the pandemic for the worst. "I think we are in a situation here with this current variant whereThe immunity of the flock is not a possibility because it always infects vaccinated individuals, "sirAndrew Pollard, PhD, the head of the Oxford vaccine group, said at a U.K parliamentary meeting of August 10. He added that since theVaccines do not completely stop the propagation of the virusThe idea of ​​reaching the immunity of the flock is "mythical".

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Pollard explained that Covid is different from other viruses that we are wavering against, which is part of what makes the flock immunity so difficult. "The problem with this virus is [it's] not measles," he said. "If 95% of people were vaccinated against measles, the virus can not transmit the population."

Although current vaccines can help slow the spread of the virus, new variations prove that they can still lead to an increase in transmission, "said Policard. "I suspect that the virus will come and then is a variant that is perhaps even better to transmit among the vaccinated populations, and so it is even more a reason not to do a vaccine program against the immunity of the flock ", did he declare.

On August 12,Andrew Freedman, MD, expert from infectious diseases at Cardiff Medical School, told CNBC that he also thinks that the immunity of the herd was unlikely. "The delta variant is highly transmissible, which means that the proportion of people needing to be fully vaccinated forThe immunity of the flock is probably not feasible, "says Freeman.

This is particularly true that only 59% of the eligible population isfully vaccinated In the United States, according to data from disease control and prevention centers (CDC). "Vaccines offer highly effective protection against severe diseases / hospitalizations, but are less effective in preventing infection, light disease and transmission, especially for the delta variant," added Freedman.

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