Facebook PixelUsing existing vaccines to potentially prevent the next pandemic from the 10 most likely viruses
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Using existing vaccines to potentially prevent the next pandemic from the 10 most likely viruses

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Shireesh Apte
Shireesh Apte May 21, 2022
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Vaccinating the World's population every year with MMR, Rabies, Adenovirus 2 and Adenovirus 7 vaccines will protect it from threats of emerging pandemics caused by the following viruses: Ebola virus, Marburg virus, Chapare virus, Australian and European Bat Lyssavirus, Chandipura virus, Sin nombre and Bayou viruses, Hendra virus, Nipah virus, Louping ill virus and Avian influenza virus. This is because these vaccines show significant cross-reactivity with the above 10 viruses- which arre the most likely to jump species (from animals to humans) and cause a pandemic. The MMR, Rabies, Adenovirus 2 and 7 vaccines are already approved and can be easily administered en-masse'.
This simple policy of continuing vaccination with these already approved vaccines for the adult and ageing population may ensure protection against future viral pandemics. This approach is significantly better than a retroactive emergency response once the pandemic has already begun (as was the case with COVID-19).
pandemicvirologyvaccination
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jnikola
jnikola2 years ago
What you proposed has been individually done for several viruses that are currently considered extinct and is currently being done for some viruses infecting kids and young sexually active people. However, if we speak about the pandemic, it was never because of some sexually-transmitted disease or disease affecting kids, but because of a virus or bacteria with a short incubation period, high virulence, and transmittance (and mutation rates, accordingly). Subash Chapagain raised some valid points concerning the number of viruses and bottlenecks that can "help" viruses to mutate, but I believe there are certain viruses where this could potentially work. Why? Simply because it worked for some viruses. That's why we should try it, but first, make the vaccines safe enough for people to believe there will be no negative consequences. When that problem is solved, we can play.
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Shireesh Apte
Shireesh Apte2 years ago
Agreed, but when we are reasonably certain that vaccines that are currently approved - but not administered - have the potential to ward off a pandemic from the 10 - most likely to jump species - viruses, why not use this knowledge to our advantage now, rather than wait for the pandemics to develop?
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Subash Chapagain
Subash Chapagain2 years ago
While it is obvious that we ought to vaccinate as many people as possible, preventing pandemics altogether might be not that easy. The viruses you mentioned are just a fraction of pathogens that can potentially infect humans. There can be a thousand other viruses that are yet not identified. Moreover, for some non-enveloped viruses like the Influenza virus, cross-protection by immunization is not that straightforward due to antigenic shift and antigenic drift. If you factor in the countless bacterial and fungal pathogens with high transmissibility, the problem becomes even more complex. Viruses inherently are prone to more frequent mutations, and they have several immune evasion mechanisms. Especially when viruses pass through evolutionary bottlenecks, they can acquire new mutations that can make them more pathogenic, more transmissible and more effective at evading immunity. Physiological status within hosts (for eg pregnancy) or increased immunity within population (herd immunity) can serve as such bottlenecks. Also, not to forget zoonoses, the spillovers from other animals where these viruses switch/expand their host range is equally threatening. Taking account all of these potential risks, not just vaccinations, but retroactive interventions like antivirals are equally needed and the world need to invest in both technologies equally.
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Shireesh Apte
Shireesh Apte2 years ago
Subash Chapagain Agreed, but when there exists a model that predicts with reasonable certainty that these 10 viruses are the most likely to jump species, then it would be a dis-service to humanity if we do not vaccinate with cross-protective antigens; especially so if those vaccines are already approved, safe and are still used to vaccinate children. All we have to do is expand the vaccination schedule to adults throughout the globe. As you mention, inhaled interferon - had it been pursued as vigourously as vaccines against SARS-CoV2- may have saved a large number of lives pre-vaccine approval.
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