5 ms·
If immunity acquired after infection is only for a short period, immunity acquired after a vaccine will also only be for a short period.
by nsnick 6y ago
If immunity acquired after infection is only for a short period, immunity acquired after a vaccine will also only be for a short period.
- FlyMoreRockets 6y agoVery likely, yes. However, it is much less debilitating to get a shot every three months.
- woeirua 6y agoIt's unlikely that would be sustainable for long for various reasons. You're talking about needing literally tens of BILLIONS of shots a year for the forseeable future? If immunity is not long lasting, then the only path out is global eradication. We have done it before with smallpox.
- sroussey 6y agoDon’t need it forever
- evan_ 6y agoI don't see us getting to the levels of vaccinations that would be necessary for eradication. A quarter of the people in the US think the whole thing is a ploy to implant everyone with microchips and nothing will ever convince them otherwise. Maybe some of those people will change their minds when they get it but I wouldn't count on enough to matter. We're all going to be sick and dying for decades.
- catalogia 6y agoCould they really manage to make a new version of the vaccine four times a year? For influenza they only do it twice a year and the vaccines are often only 50% effective (or worse.)
- sershe 6y agoI would assume this is because of how fast flu is evolving and how many strains there are, with different ones predominant in any given year. Covid is (relatively) stable, so you'd just use the same one.
- catalogia 6y agoIf it's stable, wouldn't immunity be stable too? Or is immunity decay a matter of your immune system being unstable, rather than the virus?