When a certain percentage of a population becomes immune to an infection—significantly limiting its spread—it is called herd immunity. Vaccines rely on herd immunity. Admittedly, since there was no vaccine before December 2020, reaching herd immunity for COVID could have been a very bruising process. Thus, in October 2020, doctors and scientists released a document called the Great Barrington Declaration. Authors of this declaration criticized lockdowns for harming physical and mental health, writing on their website, “Coming from both the left and right, and around the world, we have devoted our careers to protecting people. Current lockdown policies are producing devastating effects on short and long-term public health. The results (to name a few) include lower childhood vaccination rates, worsening cardiovascular disease outcomes, fewer cancer screenings and deteriorating mental health—leading to greater excess mortality in years to come, with the working class and younger members of society carrying the heaviest burden.” The Great Barrington Declaration instead offered an approach called