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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Peter Walker Deputy political editor

Herd immunity was never UK policy, Chris Whitty tells Covid inquiry

Chris Whitty with black rucksack passing police officer and sign that sayss UK Covid-19 Inquiry
The chief medical officer for England, Sir Chris Whitty, arriving to give evidence to the Covid inquiry on Tuesday. Photograph: Neil Hall/EPA

Herd immunity was never government policy during the Covid pandemic and it was a major communications failure that some people early in the pandemic believed it was, Prof Sir Chris Whitty told the Covid inquiry.

Giving evidence, Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, said opting for herd immunity was “inconceivable” and would have caused “an extraordinarily high loss of life” without necessarily achieving its goal.

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