After my exploration of whether or not there really are over 30 strains of the COVID-19 virus now, I came across an article explaining that, even if there are multiple strains, that does not necessarily mean that we will need 30+ vaccines.
In fact, it seems like vaccine research can continue regardless of different virus strains because of the specfic qualities of a coronavirus. With viruses like influenza, a vaccine has to target a single very specific part of the virus' transmission mechanism, but a vaccine for the novel coronavirus can apparently target multiple different sites on the surface proteins, which is used to spread itself. So, the kinds pf vaccines being developed should work on multiple different strains of the virus.
Over time, vaccines can be fine-tuned for specific strains, but right now what we need is just something - anything - that works.
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