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Vaccination against flu viruses is well established and reasonably successful, especially in high-risk groups such as the very young and elderly. Colds are also caused by viruses and, although they are less virulent, they occur more frequently, making the sum total of sickness and workdays lost comparable. Why is there no vaccination programme for the common cold?

Alan Bundy, Edinburgh, UK

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This article appeared in print under the headline “Cold calling”