It wouldn't come without a cost. When the vaccination was still administered, one in a million recipients suffered death or brain damage. In one in 18,000 there resulted severe infection with the virus spreading throughout the body.
Cure for Bioterror may be worse than the disease, NYT, 10/22
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.
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.