In some recent publications (listed below), the vague concept of "transferable-vaccines" has been introduced, which are proposed to be in some respects intermediate between conventional and self-spreading vaccines. However, it is unclear to us if their hypothecated existence has any basis in fact and as such their consideration is potentially unhelpful.
We believe there is general agreement that there is no defined line between "transferable" and self-spreading; both are arbitrary divisions of a continuum of transmissibility (which itself is a dynamic property in complex environments).
What purposes does the hypothetical term "transferable” serve? In this light it is interesting to consider if the continuous generation of "new “ highly redundant terminology based on a minimal or no evidence base, can be viewed as a process by which evidence-based norms are eroded.
J. B. Sandbrink, M. C. Watson, A. M. Hebbeler, K. M. Esvelt, Safety and security concerns regarding transmissible vaccines. Nat Ecol Evol (2021), doi:10.1038/s41559-021-01394-3.
K. M. Bakker, T. E. Rocke, J. E. Osorio, R. C. Abbott, C. Tello, J. E. Carrera, W. Valderrama, C. Shiva, N. Falcon, D. G. Streicker, Fluorescent biomarkers demonstrate prospects for spreadable vaccines to control disease transmission in wild bats. Nature Ecology & Evolution. 3, 1697-1704 (2019).
S. L. Nuismer, J. J. Bull, Self-disseminating vaccines to suppress zoonoses. Nature Ecology & Evolution (2020), doi:10.1038/s41559-020-1254-y.