I wonder if such a virus domestication could be somehow done in-vitro.
Probably would only make sense at the very beginning of a (new) pandemic.
Probably would only make sense at the very beginning of a (new) pandemic.
That's a very big if though, and it might be dangerous research to pursue with our current level of scientific knowledge about these things (you could create a 2nd simultaneous pandemic if you don't succeed at the "less serious" part). But maybe at some point in the future it might make sense.
Yes, there is a risk that these attenuated agents cause epidemics by themselves, thus vaccination campaigns employing them require close monitoring. Actually, most remaining cases of Polio originate from such attenuated vaccines, while "wild" Polio is nearing extinction.
This is precisely what the gain-of-function research that was happening in Wuhan tried to do. Whether that was a good idea or not is now questionable.
Covid vaccine does not have near 0 side-effects.