Indonesia Ditches Herd Immunity as Delta Pushes It Beyond Reach
- It initially targeted a 70% vaccination rate to halt outbreak
- Nation will try to control virus rather than eradicate disease
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Indonesia is shifting away from its goal of reaching herd immunity for Covid-19 as the rise of the more infectious delta variant pushes the threshold beyond reach.
Currently available vaccines are less effective at stopping transmission of the delta variant, making it possible for the virus to continue circulating even if everyone in the country gets immunized, according to data under review by the government. Indonesia, which has become the epicenter of the global pandemic, plans to redouble its efforts to control Covid-19 on the ground rather than relying on vaccinations alone to bring it to heel, said Jodi Mahardi, spokesman to the minister overseeing the pandemic response.