How come we havn’t developed a vaccine for the common cold?
It is the most common illness in the world and yet it is one on the hardest to develop a vaccine for. I know it can be caused by hundreds of different types of viruses. But 40% of colds are caused by the one virus. So why can’t we develop a vaccine for at least that one?
6 Responses
MamaSmurf
08 Nov 2009
Trista
08 Nov 2009
What’s the point in that? Colds aren’t deadly…and besides, if we came up with a vaccine for it, it will just make bigger problems when it becomes immune to the vaccine and other viruses develop from it. It’s not worth it.
Courtney
08 Nov 2009
Are immune systems would be really weak if we never even fought a cold b4.
wweman0786
08 Nov 2009
because the common could is always changeing maturing becomeing more resisttance to drugs.
wpgeezer
08 Nov 2009
How cost effective would that be? The drug companies make billions every day selling ineffective symptom relievers. If they came up with a vaccine or cure to even 30% of the common cold, they would loose millions in profit, every day. It isn’t after all, life threatening. There is no moral imperative to consider. Cancer, Aids, Tuberculosis, diabetes, and many many more life threatening diseases are far more profitable just to study. Its the financial equivalent to chopping off your arm to remove a freckle. Medicine is a highly profitable business. Even if an individual were to come up with a cure, millions of dollars would be spent to discredit him. Money is money.
Geneblogger
11 Nov 2009
The problem is that “The” common cold is actually a hundred or so different viruses, mostly from the adenovirus family, thus, it would require as many vaccines, and since it is not typically a lethal disease, it is not worth it.
I really don’t ever expect to see any vaccine or cure for the cold. I am very skeptical about flu vaccine. They just make too much money off of illness and disease.