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A comment on Single vaccine could protect against all coughs, colds and flus. Parent comment

Re:Single vaccine could protect against all coughs, colds an... by XorNot on Thursday February 19, 2026 @09:51PM (#47083058)
Which is an incredibly specious conclusion because when would the gut fauna ever be wiped out? For the evolutionary history of mankind, antibiotics did not exist, and people without an appendix (such as myself) have no medical need for any special treatment after going on antibiotics.
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Re:Single vaccine could protect against all coughs, colds an... by RupertSalt on Thursday February 19, 2026 @11:28PM (#47083743)
> intestinal flora

> gut fauna

May I be excused? My macrophages are full of slime molds!

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Re:Single vaccine could protect against all coughs, colds an... by shiroiuma on Friday February 20, 2026 @02:20AM (#47084775)
>Which is an incredibly specious conclusion because when would the gut fauna ever be wiped out?

It's called "gastrointestinal illness". From the article I linked:

"Research in 2012 reported that individuals without an appendix were twice as likely to have a recurrence of Clostridioides difficile colitis. The appendix, therefore, may act as a reservoir for beneficial bacteria. This reservoir could repopulate the gut flora following a bout of gastrointestinal illness."

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