topic Re: Herd Immunity in Wellness

Herd Immunity

Kachina624 — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 00:28:18 GMT

Does anyone else dislike this term as much as I? Everytime I hear it, I feel scientists think of us as a herd of cattle or some kind of animals. Why couldn't they just call it "group immunity". Herd immunity doesn't sound very professional or official IMO.

Re: Herd Immunity

Jersey Born — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 00:29:42 GMT

@Kachina624 - I could not agree with you more. I cannot stand the term "herd immunity".

Re: Herd Immunity

rms1954 — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 00:33:37 GMT

Because that's how they look at us and that's how we act. We let ourselves be treated as animals ... we do as we are told (unless, of course, we think for ourselves and react independently.)

We are not treated as independent individuals who can think for ourselves.

Re: Herd Immunity

on the bay — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 00:37:41 GMT

@Kachina624 -

That's the first thing I think of too! Cows!

Re: Herd Immunity

Kachina624 — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 00:38:54 GMT

@rms1954. I don't think our behavior has anything to do with it.

Re: Herd Immunity

froggy — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 00:39:12 GMT

I don't dislike that term as much as "social distancing".

Re: Herd Immunity

Goodie2shoes — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 00:39:19 GMT

I'd rather they call it something like population immunity, at least we wouldn't feel like we were more like animals (although some people do act that way now !)

Re: Herd Immunity

Kachina624 — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 00:42:47 GMT

@froggy wrote:
I don't dislike that term as much as "social distancing".

@froggy. Yep, if you're distancing you're not being social. It ought to be antisocial distancing. How about just "distancing"?

Re: Herd Immunity

Trinity11 — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 00:45:55 GMT

It does not bother me as I see it as a positive. It will be music to my ears when Dr. Fauci has a news conference claiming that we finally have herd immunity...

Re: Herd Immunity

mspatmac — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 00:55:41 GMT

Herd immunity occurs when enough people become immune to a disease to make its spread unlikely. As a result, the entire community is protected, even those who are not themselves immune. Herd immunity is usually achieved through vaccination, but it can also occur through natural infection.

I don't care what they call it as long as it's achieved.

Re: Herd Immunity

NEvans2 — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 00:58:09 GMT

@Kachina624 I'm with you. I like group immunity much better. I'm also sick of the term " social distancing". Also, " shots in arms." I guess there is another place they can go, but I'm sick of that. I've been trying to get a shot in my arm for weeks. Nothing should be this hard. Rant over.LOL

Re: Herd Immunity

tansy — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 00:58:47 GMT

The term is certainly easier to say than community immunity. 😏

Re: Herd Immunity

SilleeMee — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 01:03:40 GMT

The words herd immunity has it's origins in the cattle industry where vets were dealing with a form of contagious abortions back in the early 1900s. Veterinarian George Potter used the phrase to describe the phenomenon of herd immunity in cattle and sheep in his journal writings.

Re: Herd Immunity

Kachina624 — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 01:06:41 GMT

I'm also sick of news reports showing needles going into arms. I have a problem with needles and spend half the newscasts with my eyes closed. Why is this necessary? Many people are squeamish about this.

Re: Herd Immunity

fthunt — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 01:06:54 GMT

@rms1954 Agree - although this is the first time I've heard - herd immunity -used for current situation. Guess I've tuned out Dr. F and the rest of the 'good' doctors.

Re: Herd Immunity

Goldengate8361 — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 01:07:43 GMT

Might be disrespectful to cows. Cows are much more rational than many humans' behaviors we have seen in the last 12 months.

Re: Herd Immunity

Kachina624 — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 01:08:50 GMT

@SilleeMee wrote:
The words herd immunity has it's origins in the cattle industry where vets were dealing with a form of contagious abortions back in the early 1900s. Veterinarian George Potter used the phrase to describe the phenomenon of herd immunity in cattle and sheep in his journal writings.

@SilleeMee. I'd surmised it was something like that but we're not cattle.

Re: Herd Immunity

Kachina624 — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 01:13:45 GMT

@fthunt wrote:
@rms1954 Agree - although this is the first time I've heard - herd immunity -used for current situation. Guess I've tuned out Dr. F and the rest of the 'good' doctors.

@fthunt. You haven't been listening. I bet I've heard it a thousand times and yes, I've heard Dr. Fauci use it.

Re: Herd Immunity

Bhvbum — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 01:15:26 GMT

It's a scientific term coined in the 1920's To help people understand the concept:

Herd immunity describes the point at which a population is sufficiently immune to a disease to prevent its circulation.

Researchers at the University of Manchester first coined the term in 1923, to describe how an entire herd of animal subjects (in that case, mice) could become immune to a disease even though not every member of the herd had been immunized.

Widespread vaccination is the most reliable way to achieve herd immunity. "The whole concept of herd immunity arose from the question: How many people do you need to vaccinate in a population to eradicate a disease," said Paul Hunter, a professor at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom and a member of the World Health Organization's infection prevention committee.

Re: Herd Immunity

SilleeMee — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 01:16:01 GMT

At least we all know what it is now...unless you've been living under a rock.