Thread by @KizzyPhD

1/n: I’m about to use this morning’s “woke up in a panic ‘cause my ‘to do’ list is longer than my day” rant to address this consistent and *flawed* argument

... “wHy ThEy cAn’T fInD a VaCcInE fOr X vIrUs?”

https://twitter.com/bighall78/status/1357534034327269376

2/n: Because I work at the center that the Clinton Administration erected in with the purpose of developing a HIV vaccine, I’m privileged to have watched HIV vaccine development from “point A” to ummmm let’s say ‘bout “point M” over the years.

3/n: Which is darn good, considering HIV is so genetically diverse, a retrovirus, decorated in glycans, hides from immunity, probs needs a little more than “just” antibodies, etc etc etc

4/n: That said, please put some respecK on HIV vaccinologists’ names as much of their work on structure-function of fusion proteins got US COVID vaccinologists here today.

5/n: “common cold” is not a monolith. (Like most flawed arguments, the use of black and white with no gray makes me cringe... fluidity, folks... it exists)

It’s several viruses (influenza, RSV, EV, Rhino, coronaviruses, etc.) each one must be diligently and specifically studied.

6/n: To spare us all, I’ll state just two specific advances in “common cold” world that have come from the aforementioned center. (1) RSV vaccine in high level trial cc: @McLellan_Lab @BarneyGrahamMD (2) universal flu vaccine cc: @kanekiyom

Also which informed COVID-19 vaccines.

7/n: Grrrrrrr another monolith “cancer”.
Short and sweet: Gardasil

8/n: Thanks for coming to the preamble to my TED Talk called “The Transformation of Vaccinology Over the Years - Put Some RespecK on it”