Why do some shots keep you from getting sick and some don't?

Goldie613

Sun, Sep 11 2022, 5:49 am

Not looking to get into politics or pro vs anti vax stuff...

I legitimately want to understand. I know the initial hope had been that when the Covid vaccines came out, this would all be over. They later figured out that the Covid vaccines keep people from being seriously ill, but don't keep people from catching it all together. So, you can catch it, but it hopefully won't be too terrible. Fine - but here's where I'm confused.

There are some shots that we take that keep us from getting sick - think polio, measles, mumps, etc. Then you have some that you take yearly to hopefully not catch it, but I don't think they're as effective as the first kind (maybe I'm wrong?) like the flu shot.

So - why isn't the Covid shot like the first type instead of the second type? Is it because the virus keeps changing, because scientists haven't found the right combination yet, because...I don't know...

Can someone explain to me what I'm missing?

I just want to understand Sad

amother

Whitewash

Sun, Sep 11 2022, 6:17 am

The first kind "sterilize". They work on germs of certain classes that are what they are and never change.

Coronavirus class viruses are ever mutating by their nature. You cannot get ahead of them. These are called non sterilizing or leaky vaccines.

amother

Burgundy

Sun, Sep 11 2022, 9:34 am

Fwiw, a lot of other vaccines also allow you to pass on the virus or bacteria without getting sick yourself. Ipv, pertussis, some others. Live virus vaccines shed, ie rotavirus, OPv. Immunity also wanes. During the measles outbreak I personally know 4 fully vaccinated adults who got mild measles. I’m sure there were more. So much for “lifetime immunity”. The real truth is that many vaccines are a lot less perfect than the medical establishment let’s on. They just like to play up the effectiveness [and downplay the risks].

Goldie613

Sun, Sep 11 2022, 4:22 pm

amother Whitewash wrote:

So since it keeps changing a vaccine can never knock it out? But if it becomes endemic, does that mean that a yearly vaccine will then be needed to fight each new variation that crops up? Is there some point where viruses stop mutating?

Goldie613

Tue, Sep 13 2022, 5:12 am

So you're saying the best we can hope for is that it won't be severe, but that realistically we are all going to catch it over and over again, courtesy of mutations?