Washington, D.C. plans smallpox shots for entire city

The Washington Times ^ | Dec. 7, 2002 | Tom Ramstack

[FairOpinion]

The D.C. Health Department is scheduled to deliver a plan to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday that proposes offering smallpox vaccinations to the District's entire population within a year.

Like plans in other cities and states, the District's vaccination program raises the possibility that smallpox vaccine will be offered to the entire U.S. population under a policy President Bush is expected to announce in about a week.

[FairOpinion]

I just wish other cities/states would hurry up and start offering it. The terrorists are quite likely to start spreading smallpox in multiple cities at once. Imagine the panic... when it could all be avoided by vaccinating people before there is an outbreak.

[aristeides]

Whole city, hmmm? Sounds as though somebody is taking the threat seriously. Not that it would do that much good if a lot of commuters from MD and VA are not also immunized.

[KantianBurke]

heads up ping

[Burn24]

FWIW - I had this vaccine in 1967 and was sick as a dog from it - and I was very young at the time. Don't want to think about what it might do to our elderly.

[Cicero]

Even if the sick, the elderly, and AIDS victims are not vaccinated, they will be a great deal safer if people around them is immunized. Then it won't spread as fast or as far and will be much easier to get under control. The more people are immunized, the safer will be those who can't be immunized.

[Mulder]

such as those infected with HIV

So most of DC won't be getting the smallpox shots?

[Mulder]

The terrorists are quite likely to start spreading smallpox in multiple cities at once.

It would definitely hurt us, no doubt. But it would decimiate the entire third world, including all of the islamic nations.

It would be bad for us, but worse for them.

Imagine the panic... when it could all be avoided by vaccinating people before there is an outbreak.

I'm not against voluntary vaccinations. I'm totally opposed to mandatory shots.

[rockprof]

Politicians should get the shots LAST. Maybe that would cause them to think seriously about homeland defense. (although I wouldn't be surprised if many of the higher-level people in government haven't already been vaccinated).

[Maximum Leader]

This is precisely why they will end up vaccinating everyone who wants one.
Remember how much flack the government took when Capitol Hill employees-- including the Capitol police dogs!-- were tested for anthrax and given Cipro whil the postal workers crosstown weren't tested and at least one died because of it.

The politicans don't want people to think that the elites are being protected and for the rest of us, have a good life. Of course your average congressman would be perfectly content with such a scheme, but they do have to run for re-election now and again.

From what I remember reading (and bonesmccoy is the expert on this), as long as 80% of the population is immunized, the herd immunity would prevent an epidemic, even among the 20% that is not immunized.

Side effects or no, I expect well over 80% of the population would choose immunizations for themselves and their children.

[Paleo Conservative]

FWIW - I had this vaccine in 1967 and was sick as a dog from it - and I was very young at the time. Don't want to think about what it might do to our elderly.

Most of the problem is with the initial vaccination. Most people who have been vaccinated at least once (almost all the elderly) have much milder reactions to boosters. What really ought to be done is to use a milder vaccine for the initial vaccination, then vaccinate with the proven vaccines.

Here's a link to a previous thread on newer smallpox vaccines.

In Search of a Kinder, Gentler Vaccine (Smallpox)