[ccmay]

Only 1.25 million doses remain, and their distribution becomes violent.

That was then, this is now. We have something like 150 million doses available now, and more every day.

Don't panic, people. We can handle smallpox if it comes. Most people over age 35 or so who got the vaccination should have at least partial immunity. We have enough vaccine for them and everyone else, or soon will. There is a lag between exposure and disease onset and the vaccine can be given during this time.

Muslim wackos would be crazy to use smallpox as a weapon. It would run like wildfire through their own countries as well as the rest of the Turd World. The West, on the other hand, would suffer less than in the influenza epidemic of 1918.

-ccm

[butter pecan fan]

This is true. We are actually prepared for smallpox now, whereas they are not. We have enough vaccine for everyone in the country, so an outbreak could be contained without massive damage. In addition, we generally have far better health care and communications infrastructure than many middle eastern countries.

There is simply no way it wouldn't escape into the Middle East and the Third World (and even if, against all odds, it didn't escape naturally, it would probably be deliberately "escaped" later through the vengeful action of some individual westerner whose family was hit with it). They would be hurt far worse with it than we would be. And as a result, they would likely lose most of the financial and other support they currently have.