Herd Immunity: Some Talking Points

Herd immunity, also called herd effect, community immunity, population immunity, or social immunity is:

• This is when most people in a population or group are immune to a disease
• Being immune means they cannot get the disease.
• People who are immune cannot get the disease because either they got a vaccine, or they already had the disease and cannot get it again, at least for a while.
• When a lot of people cannot get the disease, it helps to protect other people in the population who are not immune and can get the disease.
• Having herd immunity can stop or slow the spread of disease.

*We do not yet know enough about COVID-19 to be sure herd immunity is possible*

• We do not know how long a person cannot get sick again after they already were sick with COVID-19 (how long they are immune).
• We do not know if being infected before will make the next infection better or worse.
• We do not know if a person who was sick before, and then has contact with COVID-19 again, will be able to pass the virus to others again.
• This is a new disease, so there has not been enough time to fully study immunity yet.
• Right now, the COVID-19 pandemic is making a lot of people sick, who are overwhelming our health care systems, and it is causing businesses and schools to close.
• Many people are dying from COVID-19.
• Many people have symptoms that last a long time.
• Many people have other health problems after getting sick with COVID-19.
• We cannot let herd immunity happen naturally, at the cost of thousands of Minnesotans getting very sick and possibly dying.
  • Vaccination is a way to reach herd immunity without people getting sick and/or dying.
  • Vaccination lets a person’s body develop protection against a disease without having to actually get sick.
  • We hope a safe and effective vaccine will be available soon; however, once we have a vaccine it will still take some time before enough doses are available for everyone.
    • When a vaccine for COVID-19 is available, the first doses will likely go to health care workers, people most at risk of getting very sick or dying from COVID-19, and others who need it most.
    • Eventually, everyone will be able to get vaccinated.
    • The vaccine is expected to protect many people. However, it may not completely prevent COVID-19.
    • Even after getting the vaccine, people still will need to stay home if sick, stay at least 6 feet away from others, wear a mask, and wash their hands to protect themselves and people around them from COVID-19 because we don’t know how well the vaccine will work yet.
    • The more people who get vaccinated, the better the vaccine will work.