70 Percent Herd Immunity Could Be Inadequate, Doctor Argues

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Head of the Indonesian Society of Allergy and Immunology (ISAI) Iris Rengganis in a talk show on Wednesday argued that the 70 percent herd immunity required by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a threshold to end the pandemic could possibly be not enough. 

Rengganis, who is an internal medicine specialist, believes this is backed by the multiple findings of recurrent infections despite the subjects already being completely vaccinated. 

“I am not convinced that 70 percent is enough. Hopefully 85 or 90 percent,” said the medical professor on March 2. 

During the event, she mentioned infections that continue to take place despite vaccinations already nearing 70 percent and said the more people are exposed, the higher the vaccination ratio will be needed. Rengganis compared it to measles or chickenpox. 

“Similar to measles, the herd immunity needed is 80-90 percent,” said the doctor. 

During the talk show, the doctor mentioned other issues that arise during a pandemic, such as immune escape, and compared the novel coronavirus to the influenza virus which has been acknowledged as an endemic. 

She hopes that the Omicron variant will be the last mutation from the novel Coronavirus and turn Covid-19 from a pandemic to an endemic such as influenza, “It seems we are heading that way too.”

The number of Indonesians who have been infected by the virus as of February 28, 2022, amounts to 5,564,448 people and many of them have been infected more than once. 

Read: Herd Immunity Requires Higher Vaccination Rate, Says IDI Expert

MARIA FRANSISCA LAHUR