Smallpox . . . why the urgency to acquire vaccine unless . . .

[XMan]

. . . the powers that be know something that we don't?

Most of the indicators have been that smallpox is exceedingly rare, and only exists in two or three highly secure laboratories across the world. If such is the case, why the need to be prepared to vaccinate the entire country? (If you haven't heard, the US is seeking bids for 155 million doses of smallpox vaccine, and will begin purchasing it soon.)

 

[Random Variable]

It's much better to be safe than sorry, don't you think? Oh, and the bidding ended yesterday.

EDIT: I take that back. I think it ended on Tuesday.

 

[Linflas]

Good question. I recall a debate a few years back about destroying the few remaining laboratory samples of it so one would have to wonder how someone would be able to obtain it to begin with.

 

[minendo]

<< It's much better to be safe than sorry, don't you think? Oh, and the bidding ended yesterday. >>



yup sure is

 

[Yeeny]

I think after the events of the 11th, and the anthrax that basically caused our government to stand still, the powers that be have learned not to underestimate these people at all. And I think part of it is to ease our minds, so that our country can get back to normal asap.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

<< It's much better to be safe than sorry, don't you think? >>



That certainly hasn't been the government's philosiphy prior to 9/11. And I'm not convinced it's their philosophy now. I think something is up.

 

[Lankin]

There are two things of small pox, and Id hardly call Russia's lab secure.

 

[myputer]

I wonder sometimes if something is up, I hope they just want to be prepared.

Speaking of the smallpox vaccine, I found this interesting SmallPox Vaccine

 

[Linflas]

I also read that the smallpox vaccinations all us geezers have the scar for on our arms is believed to be ineffective in case there was an outbreak now.

 

[Spoooon]

The smallpox vaccine was only effective for 10 years. I think the last people that got them were members of the armed forces in 1992. Public vaccinations stopped in the seventies(?). I think it's pretty much accepted that someone other than Russia and the US have smallpox samples. Even if they don't, it seems like a good idea to start vaccinations again just in case.

 

[trmiv]

I think it is a just in case measure. Would you feel better if they just came on TV and said "There is nothing to worry about, so we won't bother to prepare, because the threat is nil." I think after 9/11 we have learned that nothing is out of the realm of possibility, so it is much better to be prepared. Being prepared might not have been the philosophy before 9/11, but 9/11 changed a lot of old ways of thinking.

 

[cmdavid]

<< . . . the powers that be know something that we don't?

Most of the indicators have been that smallpox is exceedingly rare, and only exists in two or three highly secure laboratories across the world. If such is the case, why the need to be prepared to vaccinate the entire country? (If you haven't heard, the US is seeking bids for 155 million doses of smallpox vaccine, and will begin purchasing it soon.) >>



I thought originally it was 288 million doses of smallpox vaccine.. since the population of the Unites is 285,634,324.... 155 million doses wont cover everybody, barely half in fact...

 

[Midnight Rambler]

Fat lot of good it will do. They won't have enough to vaccinate the entire U.S. population until late/end of 2002.

It's a headgame tactic to deter against those who might think about a bio attack, but they killed it's effectiveness as soon as they announced how long it would take to acquire the required # of vaccines. Doi ...

 

[GodBlessTheUSA]

<< I think after the events of the 11th, and the anthrax that basically caused our government to stand still, the powers that be have learned not to underestimate these people at all. And I think part of it is to ease our minds, so that our country can get back to normal asap. >>



That is more than well put GF...

 

[Logix]

<< I thought originally it was 288 million doses of smallpox vaccine.. since the population of the Unites is 285,634,324.... 155 million doses wont cover everybody, barely half in fact... >>

We're ordering 155 million extra doses right now. Story. We have 15.4 million doses on hand right now, which will be diluted to create 5 doses, bringing the total to 77 million. That plus 54 million we ordered, plus this 155 million will bring us over 286 million doses.

 

[Lucky]

<<

<< . . . the powers that be know something that we don't?

Most of the indicators have been that smallpox is exceedingly rare, and only exists in two or three highly secure laboratories across the world. If such is the case, why the need to be prepared to vaccinate the entire country? (If you haven't heard, the US is seeking bids for 155 million doses of smallpox vaccine, and will begin purchasing it soon.) >>



I thought originally it was 288 million doses of smallpox vaccine.. since the population of the Unites is 285,634,324.... 155 million doses wont cover everybody, barely half in fact... >>




First off, the gov't has already committed to buying it. It is to be produced in raw form by baxter and then sent to british firm Acambis to finish. Total cost for 155 million new doses is 428 million.

Second, acambis is already contracted previous to this to provide 54 million doses. On top of that, we have ~15 million doses left over from the 80's. The gov't is planning on being able to "dilute" those doses to stretch them to 77 million. Add all those up and you get 286 million doses. The doses will not be delievered until, at the earliest, late 2002. If the 15 million existing doses cannot be diluted properly, then the gov't can buy more from acambis at the same rate-2.76 per dose.

The official word from the gov't is that the stockpile will act as a deterrant.

We hope that increasing our smallpox vaccine stockpile would serve as a deterrant to any individual terrorist who would consider using smallpox as a weapon against us, said US health and human services secretary tommy thompson.


looks like logic said the same thing as me while I was posting.