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I'm skeptical about the efficacy of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine over longer periods of time. I've still not heard a reasonable explanation about why this vaccine is

I'm skeptical about the efficacy of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine over longer periods of time. I've still not heard a reasonable explanation about why this vaccine is expected to work long-term when the flu shot clearly does not. Especially since SARS-CoV-2 mutates faster than the flu virus. Can anyone give me an explanation of why vaccines are touted for fast-evolving viruses like the flu and SARS-CoV-2?

grepfru_it 5y ago
> Especially since SARS-CoV-2 mutates faster than the flu virus. The SARS-cov-2 proofreading mechanism would like to have a word with your horribly inaccurate point
mikem170 5y ago
>Especially since SARS-CoV-2 mutates faster than the flu virus. This doesn't jive with what I have heard, that SARS-CoV-2 mutates rather slowly, like other coronaviruses. And that the flu is completely different, having the ability to recombine parts, which is why we have a different strain every years, aka H1N1, H2N1, H2N2, etc. Every year they have to guess which one will be prevalent, therefore the yearly flu shots. SARS-CoV-2 has not mutated into a different strain (variants are not strains), and is not expected to. Immune system response for other coronaviruses has been observed to be long lasting (17 years for SARS-CoV-1).
kazinator 5y ago
There cannot be a the vaccine; obviously, SARS-CoV-2 vaccines will have to be updated. People will need boosters. > I've still not heard a reasonable explanation about why this vaccine is expected to work long-term when the flu shot clearly does not I don't think anyone in their right mind claims or believes such a thing, or believes that the health authorities are trying to convince them of such a thing. Depending on what we mean by "long term". > SARS-CoV-2 mutates faster than the flu virus. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8137987/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8137987/ "Compared with other RNA viruses such as HIV and influenza virus, SARS-CoV-2 accumulates mutations much more slowly (15, 28)." So that would by why you can expect more mileage from SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.

grepfru_it 5y ago

> Especially since SARS-CoV-2 mutates faster than the flu virus. The SARS-cov-2 proofreading mechanism would like to have a word with your horribly inaccurate point

mikem170 5y ago

>Especially since SARS-CoV-2 mutates faster than the flu virus. This doesn't jive with what I have heard, that SARS-CoV-2 mutates rather slowly, like other coronaviruses. And that the flu is completely different, having the ability to recombine parts, which is why we have a different strain every years, aka H1N1, H2N1, H2N2, etc. Every year they have to guess which one will be prevalent, therefore the yearly flu shots. SARS-CoV-2 has not mutated into a different strain (variants are not strains), and is not expected to. Immune system response for other coronaviruses has been observed to be long lasting (17 years for SARS-CoV-1).

kazinator 5y ago

There cannot be a the vaccine; obviously, SARS-CoV-2 vaccines will have to be updated. People will need boosters. > I've still not heard a reasonable explanation about why this vaccine is expected to work long-term when the flu shot clearly does not I don't think anyone in their right mind claims or believes such a thing, or believes that the health authorities are trying to convince them of such a thing. Depending on what we mean by "long term". > SARS-CoV-2 mutates faster than the flu virus. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8137987/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8137987/ "Compared with other RNA viruses such as HIV and influenza virus, SARS-CoV-2 accumulates mutations much more slowly (15, 28)." So that would by why you can expect more mileage from SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.