On the Media: What We Got Wrong About Herd Immunity

'Back in 2020, the term "herd immunity" was the light at the end of the tunnel. If we could somehow gather enough antibodies from vaccines and natural infections, we could reach "full immunity" and stamp out COVID-19 for good. But quickly enough, our hopes were dashed by wave after wave of variants, breakthrough infections, and now, reinfections. Nowadays, "herd immunity" is associated with a seemingly careless "let it rip" mentality, and has been left in the dust — especially by advocates within the disability community, who claim that it sidelines those most vulnerable to infections and long-term conditions like long covid. David Robertson, a doctoral candidate in Princeton University's History of Science Program, says that we prematurely abandoned the term — and that we never truly understood what herd immunity meant in the context of COVID-19.'