• Question: Do you think there will be a virus that has evolved so much that it will be very hard to find a vaccination for it? Could you also give some examples if there are some? Thanks

    Asked by ibelieveinkarma to Emma, Jimmy, Janet, Niall, Simon on 18 Mar 2013.
    • Photo: James Holloway

      James Holloway answered on 18 Mar 2013:

      Vaccinations work by teaching you body’s immune system how to fight it, and our body is extremely good at fighting a whole range of things.
      I think a virus might evolve so rapidly that it is hard for our bodies to keep up or for doctors to keep making new vaccines.

      Bacteria are currently evolving to become immune to a lot of common antibiotics. This is a real problem and we have to keep making new ones if we hope to keep treating them.

      One type of bacteria called MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) which is becoming immune to lots of antibiotics. Not nice.

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