4 ms·
Because diseases aren’t some static thing that we can keep in a definite state of low infection forever. Letting it exist allows it to evolve. Ten polio childre
by fiblye 7y ago
Because diseases aren’t some static thing that we can keep in a definite state of low infection forever. Letting it exist allows it to evolve. Ten polio children today could easily become ten thousand polio children tomorrow.
We know we can eliminate it, which is more than we can say for most diseases. Pumping cash into other disease treatments doesn’t have that same guarantee.
- mistermann 7y ago> Letting it exist allows it to evolve. Ten polio children today could easily become ten thousand polio children tomorrow. I know nothing about polio, but is this demonstrably true, is polio seen to be mutating, and it is considered a real risk by scientists that a strain could emerge that is invulnerable to vaccines?
- mikeyouse 7y agoPolio can definitely mutate to forms resistant to the vaccine. An outbreak in the Congo in 2010 resulted in 450 infections with a nearly 50% mortality rate. When scientists tested the strain on samples, they estimated that ~20+% of the population would still be susceptible in a fully vaccinated group. Not good.. https://en.ird.fr/the-media-centre/scientific-newssheets/464-a-vaccine-resistant-polio-strain-discovered https://en.ird.fr/the-media-centre/scientific-newssheets/464...
- StavrosK 7y agoDoes your point change the economics of lives saved per dollar?