What in your own words is community immunity?

Community immunity refers to the indirect protection that is conferred to a population when a significant proportion of its members are immune to an infectious disease. This achieved through a combination of vaccination and natural immunity, and it acts as a barrier that reduces the risk of transmission and infection within the community.

When a large enough percentage of the population is immune, the spread of the disease is suppressed, and the chance of an infected individual encountering a susceptible individual is reduced. This concept plays a crucial role in disease control and pandemic management.

To achieve community immunity, sufficient vaccination coverage is necessary. The required coverage varies depending on the disease, its transmissibility, and other factors such as the effectiveness of the vaccine and characteristics of the population. When a high level of community immunity is reached, it can significantly decrease the incidence of disease, mitigate its severity, and prevent outbreaks or epidemics.

Community immunity not only protects vulnerable individuals who may be unable to get vaccinated or develop immunity naturally, but it also contributes to overall public health and societal resilience against infectious diseases.