✕ Close Coronavirus: Can herd immunity help the UK battle the outbreak? -- Coronavirus: Experts cast doubt on UK plan for ‘herd immunity’ -- ‘We really don’t know whether there will be herd immunity or not,’ says head of virology at National Institute for Biological Standards and Control -- -- Experts have cast doubt on the government’s policy of letting large numbers of the British population catch coronavirus in a bid to create "herd immunity", warning it may not work and people could be susceptible to catching it again. -- -- On Friday, the UK’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said a level of herd immunity – where a significant proportion of people recover and become immune to the infection – was desirable and could protect the public in the event the virus became a seasonal infection. -- -- “About 60 per cent is the sort of figure you need to get herd immunity.” Read more -- -- “We don’t know how the pandemic will evolve. With flu for example it comes and goes in waves. This may well be the case here. We really don’t know whether there will be herd immunity or not. ____________________Please enter your email addressPlease enter a valid email addressPlease enter a valid email address -- -- “As the virus goes through a population, people may start to develop their own immunity. It is early days really with this virus to understand what that looks like. I think we’re a long way from what we -- understand what that looks like. I think we’re a long way from what we would technically call herd immunity.” She said it would only be after people had been infected and their -- -- Professor Hanneke Schuitemaker, global head of viral vaccine discovery for Janssen Vaccines, said: “We don’t know how long natural immunity will last. And if people who have experienced the infection will be protected forever thereafter or whether we will need vaccines to -- -- Show 0 comments 1/1Coronavirus: Experts cast doubt on UK plan for ‘herd immunity’ (BUTTON) -- -- (BUTTON) Coronavirus: Experts cast doubt on UK plan for ‘herd immunity’ -- ‘We really don’t know whether there will be herd immunity or not,’ says head of virology at National Institute for Biological Standards and Control