Germany orders 30 million more smallpox vaccine shots

He is getting a lot of pushback from a bunch of liberal "scientists" who claim a one in a million complications rate is "excessive". I'm reminded of something Truman said about how the president can sit behind his desk saying "Do this", and "I want that" and everyone smiles and nods their heads and absolutely nothing is done. "So fire them", you say? Yes, and I think a big reason for the Homeland Security reorg (and battle over union rules) was to facilitate pruning the deadwood. But he could spend all his time stepping on the cock-a-roaches and they would still be streaming out from under the refrigerator.

OTOH, I really do agree with you. My position is "Gimme the damn booster, Now!"

Michael -- The deaths from the smallpox vaccinations are expected to be from allergic reactions to the inoculations and people with compromised immune systems. Smallpox was virtually wiped out in the 1970s but stocks were kept on hand frozen by the Soviets and (some claim) US.

Those of us in our late 30s and older received vaccinations as children. The thinking is that these are no longer going to provide protection. I think that I'm probably a lot better off than someone who has never had it, and that a little booster is all I need to be safe.

Regretably, I must agree.

Remembering Ronald Maximus Reaganus
The CDC and the federal government is now part of the problem.

Distribution of a licensed vaccine has been held up because of the safeguards on the distribution through FDA.

Right now, the company that makes DryVax appears to have completely failed to delivery Prevnar to doctors in the last few months.

Infectious Disease experts feel that Wyeth Pharmaceuticals has failed our nation because:
1. Rotashield had to be withdrawn from the market
2. Prevnar has not had stable supply since Wyeth crammed the vaccine into the ACIP recommendation
3. Failure to produce DryVax when requested by both Clinton and Bush Admin prior to 9-11-01
4. Failure to notify other vaccine companies of withdrawal of Tetanus vaccine manufacturing capability (left our nation short of tetanus vaccine for children)
5. Failure to notify that they would be withdrawing from production of the 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine

These execs need their rear-ends kicked.

Rumors have been circulating for three months that the BND had an extensive doosier about Iraq, German companies doing business in Iraq, the Saddam regime, and Iraqi WMD. Merkel of the CDU, finally at the end of January, demanded a full presentation of the WMD report, which I heard...has yet to happen, for whatever reason. My guess is that only a few chosen members of the current SPD government have had a review of the BND report and understand its implications.

For example, around Oct-Nov of last year...suddenly Germany orders Small-pox vaccines. There was no detailed explanation as to why they spent the $150 million on the vaccine. It has to be related to the BND report though. There have been hints of additional preparation going on...like chemical or biological attacks....with the emergency services of Germany having training sessions.

If Focus has a copy of the BND report...one can only wonder who gave it to them (a anti-Schroeder member of the BND is likely). Focus tends to put out detailed analysis, with pretty graphics and lots of pictures...and helps to educate the typical educated German (real bier drinkers don't read Focus). If the BND says they have such weapons...then its a fact...they do good detailed work and don't rush to judgement.

The implications of a Focus article at this point...it puts Schroeder on the extreme defensive to have to explain not only to outsiders why Germany is acting this way, but now he has to explain to Germans themselves that YES, Saddam does have such weapons...but we should maintain our moral ground, which just won't sell. It also opens the question...which German companies sold to Iraq, and this could have major implications both in court and in the terrible economic situation Germany is currently in. There is also the question as to why the SPD sat on this report...never allowing it to move on...and whether or not the Greens were the actual stall-point of this report. This could really make Fischer look bad if they had their hands around the report. And then finally, the question of why bash America...if you knew we were right? You used Bush and America to win the Nov election...and you continued to use the Iraq angle for the regional elections just held last week. Obviously, the moral stance by the Germany SPD government is bankrupt. As hard as the Kohl government fell five years ago....this government will fall faster and harder...and may take 10 years for their recovery.

We should be very thankful that we have a President, so wise, so able to make the moves necessary to protect his beloved nation, so direct and so visionary....that he has reached that awesome position of a person able to learn from history. He is out to make sure that history does not repeat itself. He gets it. And is willing to take the arrows and slings that come his way because of his strength of conviction.

He is a true leader, and puts the heart of his nation far above any global popularity poll rating.

klinton should have taken bin laden when offered and when the UNSCUM inspection team was thrown OUT OF IRAQ in 98, he (KLINTON THE KOWARD) had the opportunity to make that legacy he so hungered for but which always alluded him.

Even today-he has not figured out that character matters....neither had his cruel sidecar.

The implications of a Focus article at this point...it puts Schroeder on the extreme defensive to have to explain

That is what I found to be interesting...why now? The US and Germany are ratcheting up the Rhetoric, Fischer is demanding that US evidence against Iraq is verified on the ground in Iraq, etc. etc., then of all times, this report surfaces.

If any report could invalidate the official German policy for the past 6 months, this is it. I like your theory of it being 'leaked' by an anti-Schroeder BND member. That would explain the timing of the press release.

Interesting, also, is your take on the article appearing in Focus. I saw this blurb on the Welt news ticker and saw it again buried a page or so back in the Yahoo Germany Nachrichten section. "Bild" would have a field day with this info, but until that happens it will be under the radar screen of most Germans.

Thanks for the post.

longjack

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