community immunity

noun

: herd immunity

Encouraging our families, friends and neighbors to get vaccinated adds layers of protection and helps us create community immunity.—

Larry Antonucci

There is a level of vaccination that is needed to protect a community from an outbreak of disease. This is called "herd immunity" and sometimes, "community immunity."—

Erica Parker

Examples of community immunity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Science has shown that a population can reach community immunity, also known as herd immunity, once a certain percentage of the group is vaccinated. —

Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 27 May 2024 Herd Immunity Definition Herd immunity—or community immunity—occurs when enough people in a population are immune to a disease. —

Karen Pallarito, Health, 20 Jan. 2024 Even at their peak, hospitalization numbers this summer did not reach the heights seen in prior surges — a development health officials credited to widespread community immunity through vaccines and previous infection. —

Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of community immunity was in 1915

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Community immunity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/community%20immunity. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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