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Why Herd Immunity Won't Save Us : Short Wave Herd immunity. It's the idea that enough people become immune to an infectious disease that it's no longer likely to spread. It makes sense theoretically. But as NPR's Geoff Brumfiel tells us, the reality — in this coronavirus pandemic and without a vaccine — is potentially full of risk and maybe even unachievable.

Short Wave

Why Herd Immunity Won't Save Us

Why Herd Immunity Won't Save Us

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A man wearing a protective mask walks next to travelers as they line up to board a boat in Stockholm, Sweden. Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images

A man wearing a protective mask walks next to travelers as they line up to board a boat in Stockholm, Sweden.

Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images

Herd immunity. It's the idea that enough people become immune to an infectious disease that it's no longer likely to spread. It makes sense theoretically. But as NPR's Geoff Brumfiel tells us, the reality — in this coronavirus pandemic and without a vaccine — is potentially full of risk and maybe even unachievable.

Read Geoff's story here.

Email the show at shortwave@npr.org.

This episode was produced by Abby Wendle, fact-checked by Berly McCoy, and edited by Viet Le.