Vaccination guards against certain bacterial infections and slows the spread of superbugs in populations

Vaccines that boost immunity against bacteria can protect the immunized from contracting drug-resistant infections, according to a team of scientists in the U.K. who also underscore that the shots can slow the spread of resistant strains in populations.

Scientists who developed a four-pronged mathematical model to better understand the impact of vaccination on antimicrobial resistance also found that while vaccination can prevent drug resistance, ironically, it also can help promote it in populations. What’s needed is the right kind of vaccination strategy to keep resistant strains at bay, the scientists say.

The British team modeled the dynamics of vaccination and drug resistance across 27 European countries to draw a series of new conclusions about vaccination and its relationship on the control and spread of superbugs.