COVID-19 Herd Immunity

We have seen herd immunity for many other diseases but health officials and scientists have said they aren't sure if we will see it with COVID-19.

"you're thinking are people going to have to constantly get sick with that" there is still a lot we don't know about covid 19.

Including what herd immunity will look like -- or "if" we will even get it ?

Good evening and thanks for joining us.

Herd immunity is something we have been waiting on during this pandemic.

But -- health officials say it's not that easy to achieve!

News 10's sarah lehman is live in our newsroom right now.

In your top story tonight... she has more from local health officials about what herd immunity is... and why you shouldn't plan to see it anytime soon.

Patrece...rondrell... herd immunity is something we see with other diseases.

Like the measeles and polio.

But -- health officials say they just don't know if we will see it with coivd 19.

According to the world health organization --herd immunity is a concept used for vaccination in which a population can be protected from a certain virus if a threshold of vaccinations is reached.

Basically -- if you get enough people immune there is no one to spread to people who are not immune.

With polio -- if 80 percent of people are vacinated that will protect the other 20 percent.

With measles it's 95 percent.

But -- what about covid 19?

"we're not really sure what covid 19 is going to be because it's so new."

Roni elder is with the vigo county health department.

She says the one thing health officials know is that they do not want to wait until everyone gets the disease to find out what that number is.

"the only hope we have with herd immunity for covid 19 is the vaccine.

/// we do not want covid 19 to just get herd immunity by people getting it because that will cause a lot of uneccesary health conditions, a lot of deaths and we don't know how many people actually have to be infected."

But a vaccine isn't the fool proof answer either.

"you don't know how long the immunity is going to last from the vaccine people have to get vaccinated."

But right now -- it's what health professionals and scientists say is the best answer.

"we'll see what happens as time goes on and hopefully that will be our answer because we gotta get the numbers down."

Hospitals in terre haute say they could get a vaccine in just days.

But it will go to health care workers first.

Officails say the public may not see a vaccine for a few months.

Reporting live in the newsroom.

I'm sarah lehman news 10.

Back to you.