5 ms·
"It may continue to cause severe illnesses for some years yet, especially among older people." What's behind this being raised as a possibility? Is it just tha
by jfoster 6y ago
"It may continue to cause severe illnesses for some years yet, especially among older people."
What's behind this being raised as a possibility? Is it just that some older people may not be suitable for vaccination, or not accept vaccination, or is there something else?
- almost_usual 6y ago“In the longer term, virologists cannot predict how SARS-CoV-2 will evolve.” I read this as there’s no reason the virus can’t mutate and render a vaccine ineffective.
- cortesoft 6y agoWonder if it will end up like the flu, where we have to make a new vaccine every year to deal with that years strains.
- astrange 6y agoThe flu has special mechanisms that let it evolve every year and change its outer proteins. Coronaviruses don't, and they mutate more slowly because they have a proofreader.
- graeme 6y agoNot an expert, but my guess is a lower immune response to the vaccine in older patients.
- wozer 6y agoThe article is from May 2020 when vaccination was still a somewhat distant possibility.