The thought of fighting covid with herd immunity is wrong: WHO chief scientist

Soumya Swaminathan, WHO Chief Scientist, stated that even though herd immunity is a natural process to fight covid, it will take a lot of time.

Updated on: Feb 07, 2022 4:14 PM IST

Photos

Share via

• 
• 
• 
• 

Copy link

• 

1/6

View Photos in a new improved layout

Updated on Feb 07, 2022 4:14 PM

Curbing the covid transmission through the natural process of herd immunity is a wrong thought, said World Health organisation's Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan on Thursday. (Fabrice Coffrini/Pool via REUTERS)

2/6

View Photos in a new improved layout

Updated on Feb 07, 2022 4:14 PM

She further explained that even though this is the natural process, to curb a viral transmission through herd immunity takes a lot of time. Hence, it causes more transmission and deaths. (Shanky Rathore/ANI)

3/6

View Photos in a new improved layout

Updated on Feb 07, 2022 4:14 PM

In an interview with NDTV, Soumya Swaminathan said that Omicron's sub-variant BA.2 is more powerful than BA.1. BA.2 has already started transmitting in countries such as India and Denmark. (ANI )

4/6

View Photos in a new improved layout

Updated on Feb 07, 2022 4:14 PM

She further added that WHO is currently researching on the transmission power of Omicron and how the covid variant can affect long-lasting immunity. (Yogendra Kumar/ANI)

5/6

View Photos in a new improved layout

Updated on Feb 07, 2022 4:14 PM

How are the vaccines acting against covid? To this, Soumya Swaminathan said that as per lab test reports, the chance of the antibodies reducing the effect of the new variant is low. However, the rate of deaths and severity in vaccinated people is less. (Paul Yeung/Bloomberg)

6/6

View Photos in a new improved layout

Updated on Feb 07, 2022 4:14 PM

Soumya Swaminathan added that hybrid immunity is the best way to fight covid. Hybrid immunity is acquired when a person gets affected by covid and also is vaccinated. (Fabrice Coffrini/Pool via REUTERS)