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.)
Frankly, compare the number of Israeli dead in the recent bombing attacks. Compare that number of dead to the number of dead from vaccine reactions. Is it really a reasonable expectation to leave the populace vulnerable when we lose that many people to bombs and warfare?
This is war. We are at war.
When will the liberal stooges at AAP and ACIP grow up???
I'm not. Reason...AIDS. Smallpox vaccination could kill a lot of AIDS patients, including undiagnosed HIV positive patients. The AAP is riddled with morons, but I would agree that a widespread vaccination program at this time would be counterproductive. Remember the swine flu vaccination fiasco. Such an immunization program without any documented cases of smallpox would result in some highly publicized deaths and adverse reactions...which can happen with any vaccine.Could be counterproductive if the real thing showed up next.
However, I do think the vaccine should be made available to those patients who want to get it on their own. There is plenty of the vaccine around. In addition, the efficiency and side effect profile of the vaccine could be studied on the people who requested the vaccination.
Smallpox outbreaks can be controlled by isolation and vaccination. Methodology has been established...smallpox outbreaks can be controlled effectively with vaccination. That is how it was eliminated. The man who was responsible for the eradication of smallpox probably had a lot to do with this decision. Would people die from a smallpox outbreak. Yes, but people would also die from the vaccination.
Also, no telling what would happen if people were vaccinated against smallpox, only to find out that tons of anthrax were dispersed. It may be that the initial cases of anthrax were merely a test, and the real thing is yet to come.