Is there a good article explaining why antibiotic resistance and "vaccine resistance" are not the same— and in fact not that comparable because the mechanisms are different. Equating the two is really really misleading, and yet I see it everyday.
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Please explain. I understand in principle that the rates of mutation are different and the availability of horizontal gene transfer makes bacteria really good at sharing mutations but I don’t understand why the underlying comparison is invalid.
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Yeah looking for an article. There is a really solid reason why "vaccine resistance" is so rare, but evolving antibiotic resistance is the norm. There is also a very specific reason/mechanism why flu shots need annual updating, and it doesn't apply to coronaviruses.
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Is the point that replication outside a host (as bacteria can do) generates greater genetic diversity than replication inside a host (like a virus does)? I don’t know the answer to that question at all, but I’m guessing there are people reading your thread who do.
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Wow, I thought the opposite! Evolving antibiotic resistance happens inside a host. A ton of bacteria are introduced to some antibiotic. Ideal for selection! With vaccines the resistance has to evolve when crossing hosts. A small amount of virus arrives in a deadly environment.

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