London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Coronavirus: Patel denies No 10 pursued herd immunity policy

Coronavirus: Patel denies No 10 pursued herd immunity policy

Home Secretary Priti Patel has denied claims the government pursued a herd immunity policy early in the pandemic.

The prime minister's ex-aide Dominic Cummings has said in tweets that the UK's original plan was to let the virus spread through the population - achieving so-called "herd immunity".

Mr Cummings said No 10 later realised it would be a "catastrophe".

But the UK Health Security Agency chief said allowing people to become infected "has never been on the agenda".

Dr Jenny Harries said she had "never been in a government meeting where herd immunity was put forward as a mechanism of control" for the pandemic.

"But bear in mind I would not have been in most of the high-level ones as deputy chief medical officer," she said.

Asked by the BBC's Andrew Marr whether herd immunity had been government policy at the beginning of the Covid pandemic - before a vaccine had been created - Ms Patel replied "absolutely not".

She said she would not comment on what Mr Cummings would say ahead of his appearance in front of a parliamentary committee this week, but added "our strategy was always about public health, saving lives and protecting the NHS".

Also speaking to Andrew Marr, Dr Harries said that the term herd immunity had been "misinterpreted".

She said there was a difference between the widespread immunity achieved through vaccinations, and herd immunity produced by allowing the public to catch the virus naturally.

"What you're looking at in a population is to try and see at which point your population would be safe, and this is what we do with this very successful vaccination programme," she said.

"That's not the same as saying... that the aim would be to allow people to become infected and develop herd immunity.

"That has never been on the agenda but you would always look to see how safe you can get your population through a vaccination programme."


Herd immunity is a term used to mean that most people are immune to a particular disease.

This means that the disease is much less likely to spread from person to person, so those who are not immune are at reduced risk of illness.

The more infectious a disease is, the greater the number of people that need to be immune in order to reach the threshold where the unprotected are safe.

There are two ways of achieving herd immunity: First is through the natural progression of the disease, which will cause illness and death as people become infected. The second is through vaccination.

Mr Cummings left Downing Street in November 2020

Adding to a series of tweets Mr Cummings began a week ago, the former No 10 advisor referred to the government's handling of Covid as a "disaster".

On Saturday evening, he said the "official plan in all the documents, graphs and meetings" at the outset of the pandemic was to achieve so-called "herd immunity" by September 2020.

He added: "How herd immunity could have been the plan is a fundamental issue in the whole disaster", adding it was only changed after "No 10 was made aware... it would lead to catastrophe".

In addition to saying "awful decisions" were made, and "lives and money" were "needlessly lost" he also said "if competent people had been in charge" lockdowns may have been avoided.

Following Ms Patel's interview on Sunday morning, he said herd immunity had not been a "secret" policy but "official strategy" explained on TV and radio.

He said herd immunity had been viewed as "unavoidable" until 9 March when government policy started to shift to "Plan B" - to "dodge herd immunity until vaccines [were available]".

He continued to tweet on the subject throughout Sunday and ahead of his appearance on Wednesday before the Commons Health and Science Select Committee which is considering lessons to be learned from the pandemic.

Mr Cummings was the prime minister's closest political aide, and in the room when decisions were being made early in the pandemic.

But, since parting ways with his boss last November, he has become a trenchant critic of Mr Johnson's actions.

Early on in the pandemic the government's chief scientific adviser's comments about herd immunity attracted attention.

On 13 March 2020, Sir Patrick Vallance told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, the government's aim was to "try and reduce the peak - not suppress it completely, also because most people get a mild illness, to build up some degree of herd immunity whilst protecting the most vulnerable".

Sir Patrick later insisted that herd immunity was "not the plan" and the Department of Health said his comments had been misinterpreted adding: "Herd immunity is not part of our action plan but is a natural by-product of an epidemic."


Herd immunity policy "absolutely not" true says Priti Patel


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×