I'm skeptical of that several hundred deaths figure. It is based on old medical experience, plus there is the problem of misdiagnosis when the cause of death is given as such an exceedingly rare event as fatal vaccine reaction. Plus, there may well be several hundred deaths from anti-terrorism training over the next decade or so, and who would really call that a victory for terrorism?
There is a price to liberty. Part of the price is taking reasonable risks. And, although every life is precious, if we value them infinitely, there would be no medical care at all, since virtually all good treatments have potentially lethal side effects even when administered by competent and caring medical professionals. Smallpox vaccine, if given to most Americans, would take a weapon away from the terrorists. No vaccine, and we leave that particular weapon in their hands. Rather than throwing up our hands because 300 will die, I will ask for a quick research effort to get to down to a few dozen. Then go for it. (Gritting my teeth, yes, it should be voluntary. But the President should declare it everyone's patriotic duty to be vaccinated.)
Let me address each comment you make.
It was a close call but I think the CDC made the right choice on this one:
(1) If there is an instance of bioterrorism, they can get the vaccine out in a hurry. It supposedly is still effective within the first few days after exposure.
As a practicing physician in the community, let me respond to this load of malarky. I have already written several articles on this website which outline the scenario of attack.
The "push-packs" will not be used until the initial casualties are identified. Remember how those initial cases of anthax DIED in Florida? Well, the fact is that the initial cases of smallpox and the secondarily infected patients will be guaranteed to suffer illness or perish under a real biological attack. Vaccination after exposure will not prevent all citizens from harm. Vaccination prior to exposure will certainly prevent illness.
Currently, we can not get routine tetanus vaccines from the two companies who make the vaccine to the entire country's populace. Yet, you request that we wait while a non-existant push-pack system "save us"?
What makes you think that some phantom federal agency is prepared with this response? It is inappropriate for the federal gov't to limit delivery of essential medical services. YOU ARE NOT THE PHYSICIAN MAKING THIS DECISION. I AM!
(2) If someone tries to use an altered virus as a bioterror weapon, there's no guarantee that the standard vaccine will protect against it.
Do you have any evidence to support this scenario as an existing and plausible threat? The Soviet Union's stockpile of smallpox was not sufficiently engineered to make this claim stick. You have no data to support your assessment. If you do, I publicly challenge you to post that information so I can review it.
(3) Though the chances of adverse reactions are slim, when you give the vaccine to the entire US population, the estimate is that there would be several hundred deaths. If the bad guys can scare us into inflicting that kind of damage on ourselves, we're letting them win.
There is real faulty logic here. The epidemiologic data which you parrot is based upon old stockpiles and older vaccine production techniques not used today. Even so, I was immunized with that vaccine and have the scar to prove it. I am pleased to have that scar because it means that I will survive an attack. UNFORTUNATELY, OUR CHILDREN WILL NOT! Are you a physician or parent?
We are not requesting mandated vaccination. I am requesting that CDC release anthrax and smallpox immunization for voluntary immunization by those Americans who want it. After all, if this really a free market economy, why is the US government in the position of WITHHOLDING KNOWN and PROVEN VACCINE from the US populace?
RELEASE THE G** D*** VACCINE!!!!