3 ms·
Yes, we do have herd immunity to the common flu. It's why, for most people with healthy immune systems, the flu is a real annoyance, but nothing more. For those
by tathougies 6y ago
Yes, we do have herd immunity to the common flu. It's why, for most people with healthy immune systems, the flu is a real annoyance, but nothing more. For those with compromised immune systems, such as AIDs patients, the old, and the very young, the flu can be a disaster. But, once a young child gets the flu a few times, they develop herd immunity so that subsequent infections are less severe.
Once in a while a flu virus learns to trigger the immune system of those with immunity to flu viruses, and then flu pandemics happen, but that is a rare occurence relatively speaking.
- kzrdude 6y ago> But, once a young child gets the flu a few times, they develop herd immunity herd immunity is a property of the herd and not any single person, though.
- BillyTheKing 6y agoyea, the fact that most children get the flu is a counter example to herd immunity. Full scale herd immunity would protect vulnerable members of societies (who don't have immunity) of contracting the disease in the first place.
- tathougies 6y agoYou could be immune but be a carrier?