Re: poly: Immunization (was: libertarianism)

Damien R. Sullivan writes:
> If I get a flu shot and no one else does, I'm protected from this
> strain, but not from a mutant, and will have to get more flu shots. The
> smaller the infected population, the less frequently new flus will arise.

Actually, this is untrue for influenza. New strains typically arise in
domestic animals, not in humans, and it would be nearly impossible to
immunize all the world's wildlife, etc.

> (Currently suffering the lack of any cold vaccines.)

One couldn't produce one. Rhinoviruses mutate like wildfire.

Perry
Received on Tue Feb 17 23:40:35 1998