VACCINES against malaria that seem to work brilliantly at first might end up
backfiring, a new computer model shows. Some vaccines might hasten the evolution
of nastier strains of the parasite which causes the disease.
“Some could work really well but have bad long-term consequences,” says
Andrew Read of Edinburgh University. “Nastier strains might take decades to show
up.”
Knowing in advance which ones are risky would allow vaccine developers to
adjust their treatments, monitor the evolution of the parasite over time and
prepare contingency plans to thwart any virulent new strains that show up.
Most super-strains die out almost…
