Q15 - A new government policy has

[dan]

15. (D)
Question Type: Assumption
Each year’s vaccination will protect only against the strain of the virus deemed most likely to be prevalent that year, so high-risk individuals will need to receive a vaccine for a different strain each year. Doesn’t this assume that the prevalent strain of the virus will change every year? Take, for example, a hypothetical scenario in which last year’s prevalent flu strain was the same as this year’s. High-risk individuals would thus be getting the same vaccination this year that they got last year. In order to conclude that people will get vaccinated for a different strain each year, the author must assume that the flu strain will change each year. Answer (D) correctly expresses this assumption.

(A) is out of scope. The number of vaccinations given is not at issue.
(B) is out of scope. The likelihood of an outbreak is irrelevant.
(C) is tempting, but notice the language in the passage: the annual vaccination will protect against just one strain _ the one deemed most likely to be prevalent that year. Thus, the fact that no vaccine protects against multiple strains is a moot point.
(E) is out of scope (side effects?).


#officialexplanation

[513852276]

Is answer D a sufficient rather than necessary assumption? As a strain of virus could be prevalent in year 1, and then in year 10, but at that time. high-risk individuals still need to receive a new vaccine for it.

[asafezrati]

Is answer D a sufficient rather than necessary assumption? As a strain of virus could be prevalent in year 1, and then in year 10, but at that time. high-risk individuals still need to receive a new vaccine for it.

Yep, it's sufficient. That is what the question stem asks for.

By the way, is the jump from "a new government policy" (to do XYZ) and "it will be NECESSARY for all .. people to.." isn't a valid gap that a sufficient assumption answer choice should deal with?

[maryadkins]

I'm not sure what you're asking...the correct answer choice (D) does deal with that gap. The second sentence, which begins with "This goal will be accomplished" closes the gap between the government's policy and the means to get there via vaccinations. The remaining issue/gap is whether it'll be necessary for the high-risk people to get a vaccine for a different strain every year, i.e. (D).

[asafezrati]

I'm not sure what you're asking...the correct answer choice (D) does deal with that gap. The second sentence, which begins with "This goal will be accomplished" closes the gap between the government's policy and the means to get there via vaccinations. The remaining issue/gap is whether it'll be necessary for the high-risk people to get a vaccine for a different strain every year, i.e. (D).

You've answered my question.

The different vaccine will be necessary as a part of the framework of the policy.
I confused it with something that will actually happen (isn't necessary because maybe the policy will be canceled), but that was not the meaning of the argument.

Thanks for clearing this one up!

[krishna.kilambi]

Why is it wrong to assume that vaccine you took last year will not be effective this year against any of the strains, you'll have to take fresh vaccine every year.