(real) Prominent scientists sign open letter saying strategy is ‘unsupported by evidence’
NEW Correspondence—80+ researchers warn that a so-called #herdimmunity approach to managing #COVID19 is “a dangerous fallacy unsupported by the scientific evidence” #WCPH2020 https://t.co/2gTtklAkwx pic.twitter.com/q4YNZFJM22
— The Lancet (@TheLancet) October 14, 2020
Infectious Diseases Society of America: “Promoting the concept of ‘herd immunity’… as an answer to the COVID-19 pandemic is inappropriate, irresponsible and ill-informed.”https://t.co/c42nfDLrBV
— Rachel Maddow MSNBC (@maddow) October 14, 2020
The concept of ending the Covid pandemic through herd immunity is “a dangerous fallacy unsupported by scientific evidence”, say 80 researchers in a warning letter published by a leading medical journal.
“Sky News found dozens of fake names on the list of medical signatories, including Dr. I.P. Freely, Dr. Person Fakename, and Dr. Johnny Bananas.” White House Cites Herd-Immunity Petition Signed by Fake Experts https://t.co/MX49EaYfPi via @thedailybeast
— Meg Gardiner (@MegGardiner1) October 14, 2020
Be clear: Trump ain’t shit, Ice Cube ain’t shit & the Platinum Plan ain’t shit but a SCAM! Black people there is NO $500 billion from Trump for us! His plan for us is “herd immunity” to wipe us out. Trump blew smoke up Cube’s ass while the rest of us will get a kick in the ass! https://t.co/8JqNOnnFca pic.twitter.com/LnzhLSPTx8
— BlackWomenViews Media (@blackwomenviews) October 14, 2020
The international signatories of the open letter in the Lancet say the interest in herd immunity comes from “widespread demoralisation and diminishing trust” as a result of restrictions being reimposed in many countries because of surging infections in a second wave.
Perspective: Trump wants to try for herd immunity.
Without a vaccine, it could kill millions. https://t.co/2nvhfUkzys
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 14, 2020
The suggestion that the way out is by protecting the vulnerable and allowing the virus to transmit among those less at risk is flawed, they say. “Uncontrolled transmission in younger people risks significant morbidity and mortality across the whole population. In addition to the human cost, this would impact the workforce as a whole and overwhelm the ability of healthcare systems to provide acute and routine care.”
The White House is reportedly embracing a herd-immunity approach focused on “protecting the elderly and the vulnerable” just a few weeks after it failed to protect a 74-year-old with multiple comorbidities.https://t.co/E57n4PzS3T
— Craig Spencer MD MPH (@Craig_A_Spencer) October 14, 2020
The signatories have expertise spanning public health, epidemiology, medicine, paediatrics, sociology, virology, infectious disease, health systems, psychology, psychiatry, health policy, and mathematical modelling. They include a number of scientists who sit on the breakaway Independent Sage group in the UK, such as former chief scientist Sir David King, former WHO director Anthony Costello, virologist Prof Deenan Pillay, behavioural scientist Prof Susan Michie and professor of European public health Martin McKee. read more
The head of the World Health Organization has warned against deliberately allowing coronavirus to spread in the hope of achieving so-called herd immunity, saying the idea is unethical.
“Herd immunity is a concept used for vaccination, in which a population can be protected from a certain virus if a threshold of vaccination is reached,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a virtual press briefing.
Herd immunity is not a scientifically or ethically justifiable strategy for responding to an outbreak, let alone #COVID19 pandemic. We must:
-Prevent amplifying events
-Protect the vulnerable
-Empower & educate communities
-Find, isolate, test & treat
-Trace & quarantine contacts pic.twitter.com/S6pMNNRvWN— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) October 14, 2020
For measles, for instance, it is estimated that if 95% of the population is vaccinated, the remaining 5% will also be protected from the spread of the virus. For polio the threshold is estimated at 80%. read more
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