Posted on 04/06/2005 2:17:13 PM PDT by Recovering_Democrat
I will try to find the entire speech later, but I wanted to pass this amazing fact just announced on the floor of the Senate by Judd Gregg:
In 2001, the U.S. had, on hand, 9,000 smallpox vaccines. Today, after the work of this Congress and administration, the U.S. has 300,000,000. No, that is NO misprint: from 9,000 to 300 Million.
And some assert this President hasn't done his job in fighting the War on Terror at home.
So ... what is the purpose of having those 300,000,000 doses of small pox vaccine? Are they going to sit on the shelf, or is there going to be a suggestion to actually innoculate the occupants of the country?
I'd submit that the actual number ought to be classified. Especially considering multiple waves of attack.
As I understand it, the innoculation carries a (very) slight health threat and at this point it is unnecessary as it can be effective even after exposure. In the event of an outbreak vaccinations could be targeted to the area immediately in an attempt to control transmission, and applied to the rest of the population in a (hopefully) orderly fashion.
Using that approach the piss and whine crowd would be less likely to b!tch about the extremely small risk associated with the vaccination as their @$$ is on the line at that point...
I'd like to be able to make the decision myself and ask for the vaccine rather than to have the gov't make it for me because of the whiners and not let me have it until I've possibly been exposed.
It should be voluntary as soon as there is enough vaccine, IMHO.
LQ
That's wonderful news. I do hope that all 300 million doses of that smallpox vaccine are being stored alongside the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, that way we'll have TWO emergency resources that will never see the light of day until Armageddon is upon us and it won't matter anymore.
Persons interested in participating in an on-going clinical trial can obtain additional information at www.clinicaltrials.gov.
I don't disagree. If available as you suggest I'd likely decide to have it done simply to not be a possible carrier to my family. I travel a bit, and cutting off that route of possible spread of exposure, especially to my family and community makes sense to me. Take care.
That's a good point. And having enough vaccinated people in the population could act as a "fire break" for the virus, possibly stopping the spread of to places/people where it would otherwise have gone. It could cut down the number of doses they'd have to dispense overall if there was an outbreak.
I was vaccinated as a child and I wonder if I've got any of it left in me. I worry most about my nephews (no kids of my own) - they've never had it at all.
LQ
Ping
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