Quote:
Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby
...and this herd immunity is only for this incarnation of the virus. If the virus mutates, the vaccine might - or might not - protect anyone against the new mutation of it. We really won't know for sure until next year, whether or not it will mutate and require a new vaccine to protect against the mutation.
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The virus has already mutated hundreds of times. As a result of the vaccine, our antibodies will attack the virus spike proteins. The spike proteins are how the virus attaches to our cells to produce more virus. So the good news is that if there is a significant mutation to the spike protein, our antibodies may not recognize it, but it may also render the virus harmless. This is why there is optimism that the vaccine will staying power.