I’m very wary now any time I see that someone is once again doing studies on smallpox and its history and origins. If a “gain of function” smallpox virus is released, we are all going to be so, so screwed!
Viruses bleepin’ suck! :^)
[snip] cowpox, also called vaccinia, uncommon mildly eruptive disease of animals, first observed in cows and occurring particularly in cats, that when transmitted to otherwise healthy humans produces immunity to smallpox. [/snip]
https://www.britannica.com/science/cowpox