World Health Organization chief calls herd immunity approach 'unethical'

The World Health Organization chief TedrosAdhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday called theherd immunity approach''unethical''.

He cautioned thatallowing the new coronavirus to spread in the hope of achieving of this immunity was immoral.

"Herdimmunityis a concept used for vaccination, in which a population can be protected from a certain virus if a threshold of vaccination is reached," he pointed out during a virtual press briefing.

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Herdimmunityis achieved by protecting people from a virus, not by exposing them to it," Tedros said.

"Never in the history of public health hasherdimmunitybeen used as a strategy for responding to an outbreak, let alone a pandemic," he insisted.

The new coronavirus has killed well over one million people and infected more than 37.5 million since it first surfaced in China late last year.

Relying on naturally obtainingherdimmunityin such a situation would be "scientifically and ethically problematic", Tedros said.

"Allowing a dangerous virus that we don’t fully understand to run free is simply unethical. It's not an option."

The herd immunity approach was touted by US President Donald Trump as a possible cure of the novel coronavirus.

Herd immunityoccurs when a large enough percentage of a population becomes immune to a virus, either through infection or vaccination, thus preventing further spread throughout the group.

Nordic country Sweden had also adopted thepolicy but it failed as it fellshort on required antibodies.