Chief Clinical Officer dismisses Swedish advisor's advice to adopt herd immunity
Herd immunity was put forward by Swedish expert and WHO advisor, Johan Giesecke at today's Oireachtas Covid committee. Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie
Health officials have dismissed a suggestion that Ireland should adopt a "herd immunity" strategy to deal with Covid.
The idea was put forward by Swedish expert and WHO advisor, Johan Giesecke at today's Oireachtas Covid committee.
He thinks the government should allow the "controlled" spread of the virus among people under 60 - with enhanced testing and tracing for those in nursing homes.
The HSE's Chief Clinical Officer, Dr Colm Henry, said "The strongest defenses in a nursing home cannot withstand a virus that can enter through multiple entrances."
"It can enter through visitors and health care workers. The thought then that we should expect older people to cocoon themselves and promote some kind of apartheid in society where they're left to defend for themselves while the rest of us live a-symptomatic or low symptomatic live. I don't think it's acceptable in a civilised society."
