Final answer:
Herd immunity protects those who are not vaccinated or naturally exposed by making it difficult for the disease to spread. Even if someone is not vaccinated, they have a lower risk of getting infected because most of the people around them are immune.
Step-by-step explanation:
Herd immunity is a protective mechanism that benefits those who are not vaccinated or naturally exposed to a disease. When a certain percentage of a population is immune to a disease, it becomes difficult for the pathogen to spread. This means that even individuals who are not vaccinated or have not been exposed to the disease have a lower risk of getting infected because most of the people around them are immune.