[RnMomof7]

The US government has reportedly promised to legally indemnify manufacturers, in the event of any court cases over vaccine side-effects.

Combine this with the news that some of the cowpox vaccine will be coming from the home of mad cow disease (noted somewhere on FR last week)..it might be worth a second thought

[tallhappy]

Better begin vaccinations yesterday.

Vaccines after an epidemic don't do much.

Small pox is only a threat as a bio-weapon because it no longer exists as a common communicable disease.

If not for this threat there is no need to produce large amounts of the vaccine. And there is no reason to stockpile it. The idea of a vaccine is to immunize people before they are exposed to the virus.

Thanks for posting this.

[calljack]

1)"Smallpox represents one of the most serious bioterrorist threats to the civillian population" 2)Smallpox kills 1/3 of it's infected people. 3) Now of course using animals is no longer acceptable. What the hell is wrong with these people.

[samtheman]

The US government says it is not planning to vaccinate the whole population against smallpox unless attacks make it necessary. If a case is detected, authorities would "ring vaccinate" people in the surrounding area.

If a case is detected???

Gee, thanks. From the bottom of our hearts, all of us random Americans chosen by the luck of the draw to be in the "detected" group. Would have been nice to vaccinate everyone, before any cases are "detected", but hey, you're from the government and I know you're looking out for our best interests!

[Bill Rice]

"Smallpox kills one third of infected people."

I read a post earlier where someone mentioned that this 1 in 3 ratio is based on the lifestyle and immune systems of 50 or 60 years ago. Back when they did the study, country folks had already been exposed to to cow pox and many other maladies, and had better immune systems. Most antibiotics were fairly new, and diseases weren't antibiotic resistant yet. Everyone wasn't using anti-bacterial soaps and eating meat that had been fed antibiotics.

The ratio could be higher.

[thesharkboy]

"Now of course, using animals is no longer acceptable,"

PC bullsh!t is going to be the ruin of this once great nation. I was going to say that this is hard to believe (that we can't use cattle for cowpox), but it's not.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Why do we need to test NEW smallpox vaccines? I was under the impression that the old variety works just fine. Is it one of those old model year things?

[Blood of Tyrants]

P.S. Remember how for months (even befor 9/11) the government had been leaking out warnings of anthrax?

I would say that it is time to seriously consider getting vaccinated.

[mercy]

Oh goody. Better late than never. Maybe a substantial number of us will still be around to benefit.

[tallhappy]

Small Pox bump

Picture from this article in the J. American Medical association.

[Jim Noble]

>> but health secretary Tommy Thompson wants the process to take just one year<<

We don't have a year.

[Dixie Mom]

Index bump. To search for smallpox articles, click here: Smallpox List. Please ping all articles relating to smallpox to the list.