Yes.
40%
No.
38%
Maybe.
22%
Mosquitoes: flying vaccinators of the future?
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
Japanese researchers are genetically modifying mosquitoes - vectors of many diseases including deadly malaria - so that they are carriers of a vaccine, potentially inoculating the millions they bite for free.
Mosquito vaccine
Scientists should stop messing around with nature. It has done a bloody good job on it's own to create this wonderful unique planet. Who knows what the possible effects of doing this sort of thing might have in the future.
Emotions involved?
Your comment is very emotion based. "Stop messing around with nature" most likely derives from personal feelings towards the topic. Who knows what effects this could have? If this did go ahead and it increased the number of vaccinated people per year for a certain disease, would you still be against it?
messing around with nature
I know what you mean when it comes to messing around with nature, sometimes scientists have got it wrong and made things worse, but then again all our innoculations we take for granted today have literally saved the lives of millions.
I think when you look at the millions around the world that malaria still kills I think in this case it is worth it, provided it is tested extensively first to make sure it does in fact make things better.
steve
Moscquito Vaccine
I agree entirely. As mosquitos also bite animals, adverse mutations could happen.
Great idea
Excellent idea but don't promote it as a way to obtain protection because it is a Russian Roulette as to whether you score inoculation. People will still need to use mosquito repellents. I think this will be a great boon to animals.
Question: Since the human host will not die from the mosquito bite is it possible the vaccination version will become dominant?
Great Idea
I agree but I can't see how it will ever work because how will they be able to bill you for the consultation? Also need to look out for over dose, under dose or no dose at all, the repellent bit could create some dramas and what about the BLUE lights/Pressure pack cans, could they breed amune MOZZIES for these??? OH DEAR?><":!@#
virus bearing mosquitos
Oh My God NO! Absolutely not! No! Don't do it! Are you insane?!
I came up with this kind of idea when I was about 7
Interesting. I came up with this kind of idea when I was about 7 - I hated needles you see, and wondered if mosquito could be used. I dismissed it (with the help of my parents) because mosquito 'wouldn't be able to carry much'. Now with genetic modification it's a possibility. Of course it's petrifying because we all know what can go wrong often does go wrong. And we don't want to have to engineer a bug to kill the rampant toxic mosquitoes down the track....and then another insect to kill the bug and so on. Exciting!
Mosquito Vaccination
NO, No please no. Think of mutations. Mosquitos also bite animals. And then bite us also. We would have no idea of what disasters could happen in the future.
Vaccination could be harmful
It is important to consider that a number of people are severely allergic to certain vaccinations. For people who are, worst case reactions include brain degeneration or even heart failure. Not everyone seeks to be vaccinated because of these risks, therefore there should be a choice involved.