China News Service, April 21. In response to the statement that "large-scale promotion of vaccination may accelerate the mutation of the virus", Shao Yiming, a member of the Vaccine R&D Special Team of the Scientific Research Group, said at a press conference of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council on the 21st It definitely plays a positive role and will not promote the emergence of more mutant strains.
Through the large-scale promotion of vaccines, it is still possible to buy time for future virus mutations, enabling companies and R&D institutions to study a new generation of vaccines against mutant strains for the emergence of mutations.
Data map: Citizens are vaccinated.
Photo by Yuan Yun issued by China News Service
At the meeting, a reporter asked questions and said that foreign media have reported a statement, which is also a statement of foreign experts. He said that the global promotion of new crown vaccination on a large scale may promote the accelerated mutation of the virus and the occurrence of virus immunity. Escape reaction, which may cause the new coronavirus to be more infectious and more toxic, and it will lead to no effective countermeasures.
How do you evaluate this statement?
Shao Yiming said that this statement should lack scientific basis.
Why do you say this?
Virus mutation is an eternal theme, especially in mRNA viruses. The basis of its mutation is that the virus will continue to replicate.
How can this virus continue to replicate?
As an acute infectious disease of the new crown, its entire course is only a few weeks. If it wants to continue to replicate, it must circulate from the infected person and continuously transmit it to the susceptible. It is to be epidemic. If it is not epidemic, there will be no chance to replicate. It will not spread.
Shao Yiming believes that in this sense, to stop the epidemic, there are two major measures: one is public health measures. China has used it very well, and the epidemic was controlled before the vaccine appeared.
Another measure is to use vaccines.
Many Asian countries have used public health measures well and have controlled the epidemic. However, it is difficult for some countries in Europe and the United States to use public health measures for various reasons. Now hope is placed on vaccines.
Shao Yiming pointed out that the vaccine can block the spread of the virus. The virus cannot replicate when it does not spread. If it cannot replicate, it will not produce more mutant strains. In this case, the vaccine will definitely play a positive role. Promote the emergence of more mutant strains.
Even without a vaccine, after the virus infects the human body, the immune system will generate immune pressure against the virus by itself, and this pressure will also lead to the emergence of mutant strains.
However, if this person is vaccinated in advance, he will have a basic immunity. After the virus enters, it will suppress the virus in a large amount, which can produce a stronger immune response, the virus will replicate less, and the chance of mutation will be less. less.
Shao Yiming believes that through the widespread promotion of vaccines, it is still possible to buy time for future viruses to mutate, enabling companies and R&D institutions to study a new generation of vaccines against mutant strains for the emergence of mutations.
Therefore, in this sense, vaccines can definitely prevent the emergence of mutant strains, rather than promote its emergence.