Thread by @MatthewDavidH

@AndreasShrugged Now am seeing false analogy of vaccines to antibiotic/antiviral resistance. My research on evolution of drug resistance helped put five antiviral drugs on the market, so I can explain the difference in a short thread.

@AndreasShrugged Direct-acting Antiviral or Antimicrobial drugs put a NEW selection pressure on the bugs, one that would not exist in the absence of the drugs.

Vaccines trigger the SAME mechanism as natural immunity does, so viruses would be under selective pressure to evade immunity ANYWAY.

@AndreasShrugged With SOME viruses, infection triggers stronger immune response than vaccines. NOT with this virus: by every available measure, the COVID shots now authorized by US, UK, and EU evoke a STRONGER immune response than natural infection and appear to work better against variants.

@AndreasShrugged ALSO, strain chasing with vaccines is MUCH easier than inventing new direct-acting antiviral or antimicrobial drugs. We do it with Flu Shots every year, and the new RNA platforms should make any needed strain updates even easier.

@AndreasShrugged So "won't vaccines make the virus evolve faster like antibiotics make bacteria evolve?" is yet another QUASI-scientific argument.

Using lots of sciency-sounding words doesn't make it science. Cognitive engagement makes it science, and that can be tricky for non-specialists.