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
Larry AntonucciThere 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
Erica ParkerExamples of community immunity in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
When community immunity slips, high-risk groups often pay the highest price.
—Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Wisconsin is no exception: About 81% of 2-year-olds across the state received the vaccine in 2024, far below the 95% threshold that experts say provides community immunity.
—Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 26 Jan. 2026
This variation may cause uneven vaccine uptake, further reducing community immunity and increasing the risk of localized outbreaks.
—A.j. Russo, Baltimore Sun, 12 Jan. 2026
The concept of community immunity depends on collective participation.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
There, vaccination coverage among kindergartners has averaged around 82.4% in recent years, 12.6 points below what experts call community immunity.
—Suhail Bhat, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
Vaccines not only protect individual children from measles but also contribute to community immunity.
—Mustafa Fattah, NBC news, 22 Sep. 2025
One is protecting the individual, and the other is building community immunity, which prevents your community from becoming an outbreak community.
—Sherri Gordon, Parents, 18 Sep. 2025
When more than 95% of the people in a community are vaccinated, most people are protected through community immunity, often referred to as herd immunity, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2025
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Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Wisconsin is no exception: About 81% of 2-year-olds across the state received the vaccine in 2024, far below the 95% threshold that experts say provides community immunity.
—Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 26 Jan. 2026
This variation may cause uneven vaccine uptake, further reducing community immunity and increasing the risk of localized outbreaks.
—A.j. Russo, Baltimore Sun, 12 Jan. 2026
The concept of community immunity depends on collective participation.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
There, vaccination coverage among kindergartners has averaged around 82.4% in recent years, 12.6 points below what experts call community immunity.
—Suhail Bhat, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
Vaccines not only protect individual children from measles but also contribute to community immunity.
—Mustafa Fattah, NBC news, 22 Sep. 2025
One is protecting the individual, and the other is building community immunity, which prevents your community from becoming an outbreak community.
—Sherri Gordon, Parents, 18 Sep. 2025
When more than 95% of the people in a community are vaccinated, most people are protected through community immunity, often referred to as herd immunity, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Community immunity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/community%20immunity. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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