There is a new warning from scientists about superbugs and leaky vaccines which makes vaccination for some diseases even more controversial. Basically new vaccines against some big killers such as HIV, malaria, bird flu and even whooping cough risk spawning even deadlier strains.

This is because these so called ‘second generation’ vaccines being developed don’t trigger perfect immunity (unlike those against polio, mumps, rubella and measles) making them ‘leaky’ and thus promoting the evolution of nastier ‘hot’ viral strains that put unvaccinated individuals at greater risk.

Where I am staying right now, in the Northern Rivers area of NSW, Australia, there is a lot of controversy surrounding vaccines. It is Australia’s least vaccinated population and as a result has the highest rate of whooping cough in the nation.

The Australian co-author into the above study, Stephen Walkden-Brown from the University of New England, says leaky vaccines make it even more important to ensure widespread vaccination coverage (creating herd immunity) along with complementary measures.

With a small but determined number of people against the use of vaccines, that may be a difficult sell. We don’t live in the 50’s anymore where people just lie down and take what the government dishes out. I give thanks to that. And for vaccination I don’t really have an opinion. It’s a tough issue for society to deal with.