• Question: How do vaccines mutate?

    Asked by Dylan to Delma, Prabs, Natsuko, Lucy on 9 Feb 2022.
    • Photo: Prabs Dehal

      Prabs Dehal answered on 9 Feb 2022:

      Vaccines don’t mutate, but viruses do.
      Viruses are basically blobs that contain DNA or RNA. The blobs stick to cells and are taken inside the cells. There, the DNA or RNA code is copied and translated to make more virus. The copying sometimes (often) isn’t 100% correct, so the DNA or RNA changes a bit, it has mutated. If that change makes it easier for cells to make more virus, then that changed copy has an advantage. It has evolved because of that mutation.

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