The WHO has recommended dropping a component of many flu vaccines because the viruses it protects against appear to have been driven into extinction in the Covid pandemic.
The WHO has recommended dropping a component of many flu vaccines because the viruses it protects against appear to have been driven into extinction in the Covid pandemic.
We wipe out other forms of life all the time, be it by accident, wilfull neglicence or malice. Why not bacteria/viruses. Gotta have some good with the bad, right?
The most interesting thing about this result is that it was achieved thru behavioral change (masking, hand washing, distancing, isolation), and not technologic advancement. We have the capability, with cooperation to significantly alter the infectious disease landscape.
Human beings, when working together, quite literally are the strongest biological force on Earth. There is very little we can't do when working together.
Unfortunately it looks like influenza B and C aren't actually all that common in the first place with A being in animals and causing most pandemics. This dead virus is a half of influenza B. It's neat if we killed it off, but probably not any benefit to public health.