Is this the end to mutation whack-a-mole?

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a universal coronavirus vaccine.

That’s awesome. Full stop.

There’s a related article if you want the nitty-gritty (link below), but I want to talk more about the implications and methodology. First off, this could be a game-changer in terms of one of the main causes of needing vaccine boosters: mutation. Viruses in the wild are constantly mutating.

Ex.

Me: “WTH? I got vaccinated against supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. How am I sick?”

Antibodies: “Sir, we’ve contracted supercalifragilisticexpialidocioas. Totally different.”

With this development, you could theoretically be protected against all viruses, to continue the analogy, starting with “supercali.” That means that as a virus mutates, you’ve already got antibodies that will protect against anything within a reasonable similarity to the original. That could not only protect individuals, but populations. Mutations re-ignite outbreaks by doing an end-run around immune populations. Theoretically, a virus might mutate, then find itself unable to spread because the targets of this new vector can’t be infected to pass it on, potentially leaving it unable to reach unprotected populations because of the herd immunity firewall.

The second thing to talk about it the role of AI in the vaccine development. This appears to be the first instance of a vaccine being engineered based on AI protein folding. Algorithms analyzed a variety of related virus strains and figured out a commonality to target, rather than specifically targeting the exact virus (the way our immune system and vaccines derived from immune subjects work).

This means that rather than blocking one spammer’s phone number, we could block an entire area code, or a country rather than an IP address.

If this technology continues to prove safe and effective (early results on that front appear promising), and the economics don’t become daunting (always a worry), then we’re potentially looking at a widespread answer to seasonal or recurring vaccine updates.

You know… for people who’ll actually take them.

But for those of us willing to trust science, this could end outbreaks and extend lives.