‘Bank on herd immunity only after 60% vaccination’

PHFI president cautions against complacency in following COVID protocols

President of the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) K. Srinath Reddy has advocated for strengthening the healthcare system from the primary level to effectively face the third wave of coronavirus infection, as and when it happens, and cautioned against any complacency in following COVID norms. Speaking after virtually receiving the P.V. Narasimha Rao Lifetime Achievement Award on the occasion of the conclusion of birth centenary celebration of the former Prime Minister on Monday, the public health expert said the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic was only a speculation now but when it becomes a certainty, it would be only due to complacency. Stating that the herd immunity was an attribute of the population and not an individual, Dr. Srinath Reddy, who was associated with P.V. Narasimha Rao as his personal physician during his tenure as the Prime Minister, said people who were neither vaccinated nor have developed herd immunity would be vulnerable to the infection when they go out of the “safe environment” they were in now.