Rohit Shishodia
Doctors have asserted that vaccination is a major factor for developing herd immunity in a large section of the population. They have emphasized that exposing people to the virus does not guarantee the development of herd immunity. There is data that this way antibodies do not last for long in people, said the doctors.  

Speaking to DTMT, Dr Arvind Garg, Consultant, Pediatric, Apollo Hospital, Noida, said vaccination is the only way to develop herd immunity in the population. “Vaccination is more effective than those who have got the infection earlier. A concept of Chicken Pox party used to be organized in the US where parents of a child affected with Chicken Pox would call others to get the exposure of the child and get the infection for developing herd immunity. However, it was not as infectious as Covid.”

Dr Garg got the first jab of Covishield in the hospital on January 28, 2021

Dr Garg added that Covid has huge infectivity and it can re-infect. Therefore, you cannot make herd immunity through patients but you have to get the vaccines.

“The concept of herd immunity through exposing people to one another was used in the UK. But that did not yield the desired results and the country suffered most with the virus,” said Dr Garg.

Herd immunity is a method of protecting a population against a disease. So, it has to have a certain number of patients who must be vaccinated and get themselves protected so that the number is so large that no new infection comes and society is protected.

“However, the number is still evolving and it also depends on infectivity and property of the virus. It should be close to 60 to 70% of the population which should get the vaccination,” said Dr Garg.

He said that the situation of Covid is now under control with less mortality and cases being reported. He pointed out that with this low incidence of Covid, there was a sense as to why should one get vaccinated. But there is a possibility of second wave like in China and Europe which is more severe than the earlier ones, explained Dr Garg.

After getting the first shot of Covishield, Dr Sudha Saini, Consultant, Pediatric, Apollo Hospital, Noida, stressed the vaccination is the only way forward. We can get immunity and return to normalcy. All of us should get vaccinated. At least 60% of population gets vaccinated then the virus will stop replicating in the population and we will have receding of the pandemic.

Dr Chitra Setya, Consultant Obstetrician, Gynaecologist and Laparoscopic Surgeon, told DTMT, “Covid is still there but I have not suffered with this infection. I believe that after getting this Covishield I will get protected from the infection. If I even get the infection, it will be very mild and there will be no complications. If most of the population gets the vaccines, this will develop herd immunity and prevent the spread.”