
Ask HN: Why isn't there a vaccine for strep? - AnimalMuppet
ELI5 (or at least like I&#x27;m not a microbiologist):  Why can&#x27;t we vaccinate for strep?<p>For that matter, why can&#x27;t we vaccinate for AIDS?
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grawprog
Strep throat is caused by bacteria. Vaccines are for viral infections. Viruses
are very simple. They consist of a protein casing with a RNA inside. Your body
fights viruses by producing specialized cells that match to the protein casing
of viruses in your body. Each virus has a unique casing and your body must
produce unique antibodies for each one. Every virus you've ever had is still
part of your body. This is why you only get chickenpox once but can get
shingles later on if your body becomes stressed. They're caused by the same
virus. It never leaves you. You're body is just typically able to keep it from
causing damage unless it becomes weak. Viruses also mutate quickly meaning
your body needs to produce new antibodies to fight it. Vaccines work by
supplying your body with inactive viral cells that your body uses to develop
antibodies. This is why they produce new flu vaccines each year. Each strain
of the flu is a different virus and the flu virus mutates particularly
quickly. AIDs and HIV vaccines don't work because those viruses attack your
immune system directly destroying the cells that produce antibodies. This is
why you typically don't die from AIDS itself but one of the many diseases you
can get after your immune system is compromised.

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AnimalMuppet
So, if I understand what you said correctly, we can't vaccinate for bacteria
because they're too complicated? They don't have consistent enough (or unique
enough) surface protein?

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grawprog
[https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-
body/systems/immune/i...](https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-
body/systems/immune/immune-system3.htm)

