Info on Smallpox vaccine for freepers

Centers for Disease Control ^ | Bones

[chantal7]

Actually, what I had cut/pasted and put in bold were tallhappy's words. I didn't say that I thought immunizations should start again..but to clear things up, I agree with tallhappy. Our population shouldn't be left naked and vulnerable to diseases when we have the means to prevent it.

I believe that the risks of immunization are worth it. Besides, since 1980 we have had AIDS come up and spur research into viruses, anti viral drugs, so that the statistics of adverse reactions are changed by new medical advances, even a new vaccine that they are making that will probably be alot safer than the old vaccine against smallpox.

Cowpox is a much milder disease than smallpox so if there are bad reactions they'll be along the cowpox path not smallpox. In the last few years we have been having our kids vaccinated against chickenpox which is a usually mild disease like cowpox is and the vaccination or the disease itself has a certain inherent risk of adverse reactions but people still vaccinate their kids or take them to "chickenpox parties". For the record, my kids had chickenpox before the vaccine came out and I didn't take them to a "chickenpox party".

Look at the risk I am in if bitten by a rattlesnake and if they still make that antivenom via horses. I am severely allergic to horses so I have the choice of either dealing with the venom without the antivenom or else taking the antivenom and the medical team having to stand by incase I have a severe allergic reaction to the antivenom via horse host, if they can't find an antivenom not made from horse hosts. We all have to put up with certain risks and decisions.

I'd have my kids and myself re/vaccinated against smallpox in a heart beat if it were offered and available. Others might choose not to have their children or themselves vaccinated.

[null and void]

Just looked in the mirror, and don't have any scars, could someone have been vaccinated and not gotten a scar?

I was. I don't.

[chantal7]

Well, according to the "Dark Winter" project carried out in Oklahoma recently, one infection in OKC could possibly infect people in 25 states and several countries overseas in 13 days.

So smallpox could have infected or touched almost the total population of the United States before anyone came down with the symptoms that usually appear 2 weeks after exposure.

But don't let it scare you. I don't think it'd be that bad.

[Saundra Duffy]

The CDC folks are getting themselves vaccinated so they can attend to the dead and dying (that's us!). I asked my doc about the shot and he said it's not available to us peasants. That got me thinking. . . Suppose the Taliban world (unbeknownst to us) got themselves all vaccinated? What a great way to wipe out all the infidels (that's us!). Then I got to thinking . . . I wonder if Gary Condit and the other members of the Intelligence Committee are getting themselves and their families vaccinated against smallpox? I want to know! I heard there are 15 million vaccinations available right now. That means the gov't could theoretically choose who will live and who will die. Scary, huh? Smallpox is some gruesome, awful, frightening stuff! I want my grandchildren immunized right now! For victory & freedom!!!

[Saundra Duffy]

I am mad as hell that our intelligence community (e.g., GARY "OJ" CONDIT) didn't have sense enough to warn us about smallpox as a terrorist's strategy! All of us are caught vulnerable. How much you wanna bet Gary Condit has recently been vaccinated? For victory & freedom!!!

[Kozak]

"Why are they stopping the tetanus boosters?

Because theres a severe shortage of vaccine. We are only using it on people who have a significant risk (ie a dirty cut ) and need a booster because of the length of time since their last one.

[Stingray51]

Well, I'm surely not visiting South Africa for vaccination. Thanks for the info. If there were some halfway safe country to go for a "vaccination vacation", it would be something I'd consider.

[chantal7]

I was also wondering if they have a vaccination that they give cows against cowpox (I haven't stayed up on all vaccinations and meds they have for animals) ...if humans were vaccinated against cowpox, would the antibodies our bodies would produce from that vaccination...if one exists...also protect us against smallpox?

YIKES! I certainly wasn't clear on the above paragraph! What I was asking is if they make a cowpox vaccine for cows, if it(the cowpox vaccine for cows) could be used on humans after figuring out the correct dosage for a human as compared to a cow.

[Kozak]

"My grandmother used to tell me how she intentionally exposed her girls to Whooping cough, to get it over with....my mom intentionally exposed us to measles,mumps and chicken pox.. Today young parents seem to think that all these are "so deadly" that immunization is a necessity

I hate to tell you you this but a significant if small number do die of those diseases. Another significant number end up with permanent disabilities as a result of them. Prudent parents vaccinate their kids to avoid that unnecessary risk. I certainly have. And if vaccine becomes available for Small pox I will certainly vaccinate my kids. The risk is too great to ignore.

[riri]

If smallpox does break out, I'll start looking for at least one dose of the vaccine if I have to go to Mexico to find it, or else I'll find someone who will share their blister and I'll vaccinate my kids and myself on my own from it. It's a live virus so there is that ability we have to do that.

Have any more info on the Mexico connection? I´d be willing to give that a try!

[riri]

But don't let it scare you. I don't think it'd be that bad.

What scares me is the four or five days the government and gov´t agencies sit on the information deciding whether to tell the public, worrying about the economy.

Don´t even think they won´t do it, you know they will...

[null and void]

Damm, I wish you were wrong...

(I know you're not...)

[tjh185]

Well, according to the "Dark Winter" project carried out in Oklahoma recently, one infection in OKC could possibly infect people in 25 states and several countries overseas in 13 days. So smallpox could have infected or touched almost the total population of the United States before anyone came down with the symptoms that usually appear 2 weeks after exposure. But don't let it scare you. I don't think it'd be that bad.

Actually, the dark winter scenario assumed an initial exposure of 1000 individuals in OKC, with a dispersion of 20:1 for each case at each wave. There have been some disputes about this ratio, and whether or not that ratio may even be lower than 10:1

[RnMomof7]

You know I would love to see stats on this..It seems there is a greater proportion of sequella now that in the past..it makes me wonder if having so many people with artificial immunity actually makes the remaining strain more potent.

I would like some stats on deaths 20 years ago from these compared statistically to today...might be interesting....as for our family...we wait until the last moment to immunize the kids for school..preferring natural immunity..Interesting in NY State we have to immunize babies against Hep.B..a disease transferred by sex and needles..I guess that's just incase they decide to get out of their cribs and party huh?

BTW I am an RN..worked in Hospitals and detox units where I would have regular exposure to Heb B..and I never chose to have it..( And I never caught Hep B from all the blood and waste material I was around..)

[dinodino]

I checked my immunization records today, and I was vaccinated in 7/76 (USN). I think immunization for the general (civilian) population ended much earlier, though.

[Paleo Conservative]

Personally with a 30% death rate Smallpox worries me much less than Eboli...

Wrong. Ebola kills people so quickly that it can't spread too far. Smallpox was continuously transmitted from person to person for thousands of years!

[RnMomof7]

Interesting thought,ya just have to hope that they do not spread it over a large area ,or you do not work in a hospital

[Ditter]

If smallpox ever becomes a reality & after all the un vaccinated are taken care of, would the older people who had been vaccinated 50+ years ago be re-vaccinated?

[FITZ]

Smallpox virus is variola, not vaccinia.

I know that, if I ever said otherwise, it was a typo.

[austinTparty]

I believe the year for stopping general vaccination was for people born 1972 or later. I just had a forward-thinking doc... oh well. Wonder if this means I'm first in line among the civvies? :D