Experts, Public Health Groups Denounce ‘Herd Immunity’ Strategy Supported By Trump Administration; ProPublica Examines CDC’s Handling Of COVID-19 Pandemic

The Hill: Health experts say ‘herd immunity’ strategy would kill thousands
“Public health experts are growing alarmed that the Trump administration is increasingly embracing scientists who argue against lockdowns and restrictions as a means to control the coronavirus pandemic. … In a document known as the Great Barrington Declaration, signed earlier this month, they embrace a concept known as ‘herd immunity,’ in which a population builds up enough resistance to a pathogen that it runs out of victims to infect. … In a statement Thursday, groups like the National Association of County and City Health Officials, the American Public Health Association, the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, and the Public Health Institute condemned the declaration and the flaws in its arguments…” (Wilson, 10/16).

ProPublica: Inside the Fall of the CDC
“…A vaunted agency that was once the global gold standard of public health has, with breathtaking speed, become a target of anger, scorn, and even pity. How could an agency that eradicated smallpox globally and wiped out polio in the United States have fallen so far? ProPublica obtained hundreds of emails and other internal government documents and interviewed more than 30 CDC employees, contractors, and Trump administration officials who witnessed or were involved in key moments of the crisis…” (Bandler et al., 10/15).

Additional coverage of reactions to the administration’s support of a “herd immunity” strategy is available from The Hill (2).

The KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report summarized news and information on global health policy from hundreds of sources, from May 2009 through December 2020. All summaries are archived and available via search.

KFF Headquarters: 185 Berry St., Suite 2000, San Francisco, CA 94107 | Phone 650-854-9400
Washington Offices and Barbara Jordan Conference Center: 1330 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 | Phone 202-347-5270

www.kff.org | Email Alerts: kff.org/email | facebook.com/KFF | twitter.com/kff

The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news, KFF is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California.