FromTheRafters wrote
Commander Kinsey wrote

Doesn't giving a coronavirus vaccine to everyone
increase the chances of the virus mutating to avoid
the vaccine? So we should be using it sparingly.

Good point actually.

Nope, shows a complete misunderstanding of how viruses mutate.

I questioned this earlier as I was thinking about
in the USA we have basically three vaccines. We
have heard about bacteria being resistant due to
overuse of antibacterials and antibiotics. This is a
little different.

Completely different in fact. Antibiotics kill bacteria
and are not always 100% successful, and that's what
produces resistance. Vaccination stops infection and
so the virus doesn't get to mutate in that individual.

The greatest threat is in the unvaccinated population
who continue to harbor the virus, there will always be
some for one reason or another.

Not necessarily, we eliminated smallpox
from the wild by vaccination. And havent
quite done that yet with polio because
a few countrys refused to vaccinate.

The bigger the host population the more
the viruses environment shapes the newer
generations. Resistance can build.

Not in those who don't get infected because
they have been vaccinated and the more that
have been vaccinated, the fewer infected
people there are for the virus to mutate in.

The other point is, vaccinated people can
still host the virus and spread it to others,

Yes, but far fewer of those do that than the unvaccinated.

they are just less likely to get the serious
disease outcome than the unvaccinated.

That's just plain wrong. Vaccination dramatically
reduces the chance of being infected at all.

This is no magic bullet,

Vaccination has in fact been just that with smallpox
and quite a few other viruses too. It hasn't been
with influenza and the common cold because
they mutate much faster than most viruses.

it is just another common-sense
weapon in the battle against the virus.

It is in fact by far the most effective weapon
against the virus apart from isolation which
isnt practical for most people.