The Conversation

What is herd immunity and how many people need to be vaccinated to protect a community?

Author: Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, La Trobe University

The vaccine coverage needed for herd immunity varies from disease to disease. Ryoji Iwata/Unsplash

The term herd immunity comes from the observation of how a herd of buffalo forms a circle, with the strong on the outside protecting the weaker and more vulnerable on the inside.

This is similar to how herd immunity works in preventing the spread of...

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