Herd culture and herd immunity

Abstract

Although communicable diseases affect our bodies, they occur in a society that interprets and gives them meaning. Herd immunity provi-des the body protection; however, long-term protection requires shifts in the way people interpret and respond to disease, cultural transformation that enables the development of the knowledge, habits and skills that make herd immunity feasible and sustainable. Herd culture allows indi-viduals to protect themselves and restrict their liberty in order to protect others; it is a form of exercising positive liberty and a necessary comple-ment to herd immunity in a democratic society.