Social Immunity, Women and Care: An Interdisciplinary Discussion on Collective Care, Public Health and Sustainability

Background The concept of “social immunity,” originally describing collective defenses in eusocial insects, is applied to human societies where communal care practices protect communities from health threats, social inequalities, and other vulnerabilities. Women are central to this process, providing the majority of care work. This creates a critical paradox: while women sustain collective health, their caregiving roles disproportionately expose them to a range of physical, chemical, and psychosocial stressors, a concept captured by the “exposome.” Objective This article explores the intersection of social immunity, gendered care work, and the ethics of care. It aims to analyze the paradoxical role of women as the primary agents of social immunity who are simultaneously made more vulnerable by their labor. The central argument calls for degendering care and repositioning it as a shared, public responsibility essential for strengthening the collective immunity of societies. Analysis This interdisciplinary analysis synthesizes literature from biology, sociology, public health, and feminist philosophy. It traces the concept of social immunity from its origins in entomology to its application in human contexts, integrating the framework of the exposome to understand the cumulative health impacts on caregivers. The analysis is supported by global data from organizations like the UN, ILO, and OECD, which quantify the unequal burden of care work on women, a disparity exacerbated by the COVID‐19 pandemic. The role of social networks in mediating immune function is examined, alongside the philosophical contributions of care ethicists like Joan Tronto and Carol Gilligan, to argue for a revaluation of care. Conclusion and Implications The analysis concludes that the current gendered model of care is unsustainable and weakens societal resilience. A fundamental shift is necessary to recognize care as a collective and political responsibility, not merely a private or familial duty. Adopting an ethics of care is crucial for building sustainable and robust social immunity capable of withstanding future public health crises, pandemics, and other systemic challenges. This requires interdisciplinary research and policy interventions that support caregivers, address structural inequalities, and foster equitable, resilient communities. Patient or Public Contribution This article is a conceptual analysis and interdisciplinary synthesis of existing scholarly literature, public health data, and philosophical frameworks. As it does not involve primary empirical research or new data collection from human subjects, direct patient, caregiver, or public involvement in the design, conduct, or analysis of the study was not part of the methodology. The work is, however, fundamentally informed by and centered on the documented experiences of caregivers and the dynamics of public health as detailed in extensive prior research and global reports. Future empirical studies that build upon this theoretical framework would necessitate and greatly benefit from the direct engagement and contribution of patients, caregivers, and members of the public to validate and enrich its conclusions.