Monday, January 10, 2011

Selective vs. mass vaccination to reduce influenza spread

Based on quantum mechanics, physicists have proposed a new, more efficient method of reducing spread of few by select vaccination compared to the mass vaccination. Basically, their research calls for vaccinating all susceptible populations (given, that the susceptible populations all consent to getting vaccinated). They take into consideration seasonal variations of the flu virus... but what about everything else that they forgot to consider?

Their physics analogy comes from analysis of the dynamics of "microscopic particles in miniature traps."

Some things to consider: two of the researchers have ties with Hebrew University and the third researcher works with one of the two Hebrew researchers at Michigan State University. Would independent, third party researchers also get the same results?
Have they considered the microbiology of the infectious agents (e.g. viruses!) along with the susceptibility factor? If not... they should. It's probably going to be different for different virus groups (depending on how we classify them!).

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110103110200.htm

Yu-Jin

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