I'd much rather get just one virus vaccination than I would two. Would you too? Simplicity trumps complexity?

If only the viruses would COOPERATE with us and stop changing changing changing changing. Too smart for us I guess. Wants to live so in order to do sp it has to outwit us. From the initial appearance in China how many variants are there now? We have the China then the U.K. variant then the Brazilian then the South African. That South African one seems deadlier. So as it changes we have to GUESS how it will mutate in advance to be ready for it. Now I ask you isn't that unreasonable of the virus? It's lack of cooperation that is bugging us so to speak. Dagnabbit! Thank you for your reply Shuhak. How do we stop mutations? Happy Sunday! :) This post was edited by RosieG at January 31, 2021 9:42 AM MST

From what I've read (and I don't claim to be an expert), the flu vaccine is never completely effective because it mutates from year to year and pharma companies have to guess which strain will come around from year to year.  As a result, the vaccines that are produced are only 40-60% effective.  Because of those odds, I've never had a flu shot and it's been 51 years since I last had the flu.  However, the vaccine for Covid-19 is a different story and when it is available, I will attempt to get vaccinated.

You're completely right. 
All viruses mutate.  Just like every other living organism on this planet, their goal is to stay alive and reproduce.  The more mutations, the better the chance they have of doing that.

I salute your good health.  You are very fortunate.  My dad was the same way; he rarely ever got sick.   Unfortunately, however, everyone's  not like you and him.  They have weaker immune systems.  For them, 40%-60% is better that nothing ... especially considering how deadly the flu can be.

You're right in that if you have a compromised immune system, 40-60% is better than dying from the flu.  I hope you inherited your Dad's good health. :)

:):):)

Why can't we stop the virus from replicating? Make it sterile? Do virus hae sex get pregnant and give birth to more viruses? How does that work? Why can't we interfere with it? Thank you for your reply Durdle and Happy Sunday! :)

We could probably stop it in its tracks if everyone was vaccinated at the same time.  As long as some are and some aren't, the ones who aren't will allow the virus to mutate.  This is similar to all those antibiotic resistant germs that flourish because the initial infection was not cured completely before the person stopped taking the meds.  That permitted the remaining germs to become stronger and stronger, eventually becoming resistant to the antibiotics.

Some folks might be allergic to the meds itself and can't take it. I wonder what becomes of them? My son had an allergy to eggs as an infant and there is albumen or something in some vaccines so he could not take them. Other than that I can't think of an excuse. But there is so tampering that can happen at so many levels I wish I could TRUST homo saps now the way I used to do BEFORE FOOTOO. Thank you for your reply L! :) This post was edited by RosieG at February 1, 2021 7:54 AM MST

I suppose anyone allergic to a medication either has to use another one and hope it works as well or just suffer through and hope for the best.  To be fair, people were tampering with meds before Trump - remember the Tylenol scare?  

Right! Someone put poison or something in a bottle so they pulled all of them from everywhere. Cruel mean vicious predates FOOTOO. I never understood why then and I don't understand why now. The vicious  mean cruel vile evil that people do to other people. Thank you for your reply L. I guess I'll ask if anyone does! :)

Sick people do things like that.

I can't fathom why millions of people get off on cruelty. Defectives at birth I suppose. They appear to be normal but the insides are all twisted. Thank you for your reply L! :)

I'm afraid a virus, of any sort, does not work like that. It occupies a sort of twilight on the fringes of life, not even quite "alive"  and unable to do anything until it finds a host cell of the right sort for its continued existence.

I think virii replicate by dividing;  but they certainly don't multiply sexually. They can though, mutate just any cell can, by chance or in response to some stimulus; and if the mutation fails the organism is either unaffected or dies, but if it proves favourable the altered organism can continue as a new strain. 

A bacterium is larger and is a micro-organism of its own, like a microscopic version of an amoeba; and like the amoeba does replicate by division. As any living cell does, actually. Its nucleus (the "works" that carries its genome) makes a copy if itself then the cell splits into two with a nucleus in each.

I don't think either type can be "interfered with".   

I don't know if they become vaccination-resistant in the way some bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics, because the weapon against them is different, unless they manage to change themselves to such an extent that the antibodies do not recognise them readily enough. 

Whatever they are seems to be more than we are. They are "outwitting" us somehow. It seems almost mystical how they can do that without "brains". Our "brains" aren't up to the task apparently. I dunno Durdle. The whole thing is a huge mystery to me. We can get people to the moon and bring them back safely but we can't outwit or outrun a virus? Thank you for your thoughtful and informative reply. As usual I appreciate it! :)