Right-Wing “Herd Immunity” Logic Has Infiltrated US Politics and Public Health

People who lost loved ones to COVID-19 while staying in New York nursing homes attend a protest and vigil on March 25, 2021, in New York City. SPENCER PLATT / GETTY IMAGES

When COVID-19 broke out across the world in 2020, it produced widespread support for expanded public health measures, including “lockdowns,” that are estimated to have saved up to a million lives in the U.S. and millions more worldwide. As tragic as the pandemic has been, as many mistakes were made, we should be grateful to the health care workers, public…