对此， 总干事谭德塞表示，群体免疫原本是用于疫苗接种的一个概念，用群体免疫作为应对新冠疫情的策略既不科学也不道德，并重申疫情防控没有捷径。
 Using the principle of so-called “herd immunity” to stem the COVID-19 pandemic is “unethical” and “not an option” countries should pursue to defeat the virus, the UN health agency chief warned on Monday. 世界卫生组织总干事谭德塞10月12日警告称，用所谓的“群体免疫”原则来阻止新冠肺炎疫情是“不道德的”，也不是国家抗击 的“一个选项”。
 "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, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), told the agency’s regular press briefing in Geneva. 谭德塞在日内瓦的例行新闻发布会上说：“群体免疫是用于疫苗接种的一个概念，意思是如果足够多的人接种了疫苗，就可以使整个群体免受某种病毒感染。
” But, he explained, it is achieved by protecting people from the virus, “not by exposing them to it”. 他解释道，群体免疫是通过保护人们免受病毒感染来实现的，“而不是通过让人们接触病毒实现的。
” "Never in the history of public health has herd immunity been used as a strategy for responding to an outbreak”, the WHO chief said, calling it “scientifically and ethically problematic”. 谭德塞称：“公共卫生史上从未用群体免疫作为一种策略来应对疫情暴发。
 To obtain herd immunity from measles, for example, about 95 percent of the population must be vaccinated. However, according to WHO estimates, less than 10 percent of the global population has any immunity to the coronavirus, leaving the “vast majority” of the world susceptible. 举例来说，要达到麻疹病的群体免疫，约95%的人口必须接种疫苗。
然而，据世界卫生组织估计，全球不到10%的人口对新冠病毒有免疫力，这意味着世界上“绝大多数人”都是易感人群。
 "Letting the virus circulate unchecked, therefore, means allowing unnecessary infections, suffering and death”, Tedros said. 谭德塞称：“因此，让病毒不受限制地传播，意味着不必要的感染、痛苦和死亡。