Question
Why is it difficult to make vaccines for viruses?
A. All known vaccine molecules must be tested to find the right one. B. All known viruses must be tested against new vaccines. C. Viruses mutate to attack the vaccine molecules, so new ones must be continually produced. D. Vaccines are very small, so it is difficult to determine if the molecule fits. Explain the answer that you chose
A. All known vaccine molecules must be tested to find the right one. B. All known viruses must be tested against new vaccines. C. Viruses mutate to attack the vaccine molecules, so new ones must be continually produced. D. Vaccines are very small, so it is difficult to determine if the molecule fits. Explain the answer that you chose
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The correct answer is **C. Viruses mutate to attack the vaccine molecules, so new ones must be continually produced.**
### Explanation:
Making vaccines for viruses can be challenging due to a phenomenon known as viral mutation. Many viruses, especially RNA viruses like influenza and HIV, have high mutation rates, which can lead to the emergence of new viral strains that may evade the immune responses triggered by existing vaccines. This means that even if a vaccine is effective at the time of its development, over time, the virus may change so much that the vaccine no longer provides adequate protection.
As a result, vaccine developers often need to create updated versions of vaccines to keep up with these mutations. This is particularly evident in the annual development of flu vaccines, which are updated each year based on the circulating strains of the virus.
While options A, B, and D touch on various aspects of vaccine development, they do not address the primary challenge of viral mutation and the need for ongoing vaccine development in response to that mutation. Hence, option C most accurately encapsulates the key difficulty in making vaccines for viruses.
### Explanation:
Making vaccines for viruses can be challenging due to a phenomenon known as viral mutation. Many viruses, especially RNA viruses like influenza and HIV, have high mutation rates, which can lead to the emergence of new viral strains that may evade the immune responses triggered by existing vaccines. This means that even if a vaccine is effective at the time of its development, over time, the virus may change so much that the vaccine no longer provides adequate protection.
As a result, vaccine developers often need to create updated versions of vaccines to keep up with these mutations. This is particularly evident in the annual development of flu vaccines, which are updated each year based on the circulating strains of the virus.
While options A, B, and D touch on various aspects of vaccine development, they do not address the primary challenge of viral mutation and the need for ongoing vaccine development in response to that mutation. Hence, option C most accurately encapsulates the key difficulty in making vaccines for viruses.