[FormerLurker]

He did call for ending smallpox vaccinations in Britain, arguing that smallpox was so rare in Britain that the vaccine killed more than the disease itself. But keep in mind- this was 1962 when he spoke out.

Keep in mind, wisdom comes in later years...

[Hunble]

Funny, my father was the director of immunization at CDC between the 1970's and the 1980's. If you got an immunization shot during those years, he is the one responsible for it. Eventually, he was asked to take over the AIDS program once that became a serious problem in the 1980's.

My wife is an RN.

I had the smallpox vaccination as a child.

I had the smallpox vaccination in the Army.

Count me in as the first in line when the smallpox vaccinations when are available once again.

[Wingsofgold]

You ever hear "no fool like an old fool?" heheee, since you so fond of quotes an all. Whazup wid you tryin to convince folks not to get their vaccines if they want one? You 'posed to be Liberal so what's with you trying to sway opinions?

[Paleo Conservative]

He did call for ending smallpox vaccinations in Britain, arguing that smallpox was so rare in Britain that the vaccine killed more than the disease itself. But keep in mind- this was 1962 when he spoke out.

Keep in mind, wisdom comes in later years...

It was only thanks to the previous vaccination efforts that that the rate of smallpox had declined to that level. Due to the erradication of naturally ocurring smallpox, achieved by ring vaccination around reported cases, efforts to develop safer vaccines for smallpox were abandoned. According to statistics recorded in 1968, virtually all the deaths or injuries caused by the smallpox vaccine occurred in people with compromised immune systems, people with eczema, or children under 10. At this point the vaccinations are strictly voluntary for civilians. The 500,000 emergency and health workers, and the 500,000 are healthy adults who are unlikely to have adverse reactions to the vaccine. Even if some of this group have some side effects, modern medicine has much more effective treatments for them than existed 30 years ago when routine smallpox vaccinations were stopped.

The more healthy people, who are low risk for complications from the smallpox vaccine, get vaccinated the greater the herd immunity to smallpox. This herd immunity will help protect those who are unvaccinated or can not tolerate the vaccine. The consequences of not having voluntary vaccination now, may be involuntary vaccination in the event of a smallpox attack. Also, the strain of smallpox used by the Russian biowarfare program had a fality rate of 50% in unvaccinated people who got the disease. It would be foolish not to be prepared for an attack.