UK Herd Immunity Strategy Is Back
July 7, 2021, 4:54 am

According to the Daily Mail, sources said that Ministers hope an 'element of herd immunity' will help slow the spread of Covid infections among the young.

The controversial policy of trying to build up immunity by allowing the virus to rip through part of society has never been acknowledged by ministers.

The concept became so toxic last year that Downing Street banned its use in internal government discussions.

Sources told the Daily Mail that Department of Health officials now refer to a strategy of 'hybrid immunity', involving vaccinating older, more vulnerable people, combined with a mixture of vaccinations and infections for the young.

The Daily Mail reported that a Whitehall source said: 'There is an element of herd immunity in what we are doing. Obviously, the most vulnerable people, including all over-40s, will have been offered both doses by the time we open up. Younger people are less at risk from serious problems with Covid.

'All adults will have been offered a jab by July 19, but with cases running so high, it is inevitable that some people are going to acquire immunity through infection. It is not so much a policy aim as a consequence of the fact that we are having a third wave.'

Herd immunity is a common concept in science and refers to establishing such a high proportion of the population with antibodies that a virus finds it impossible to spread.

It became controversial last year as the pandemic began when it was realised that letting Covid run through the population would mean hundreds of thousands of deaths.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman told reporters yesterday that herd immunity 'is not a policy goal of the government'. But a senior government adviser said herd immunity was a legitimate aim.

Professor Robert Dingwall, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, told Sky News: 'It may sound like a hard and callous thing to say, but every person who gets infected is taking us towards that target of a level of population immunity where we are all protected against the most serious infections.'

Source: dailymail

Image source: Getty Images-dailymail

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”