[rolling_stone]

here is a site with info on the history of smallpox: http://www.acponline.org/journals/annals/15oct97/smallpox.htm

here is a site with info about failure of vaccine, FWIW: http://www.whale.to/vaccine/quotes10.html

Personally having lived overseas as a child (third culture kid!, navy brat)I believe there was a required set of shots for international travellers that required smallpox vaccinations until around 1982 where domestically it was discontinued around 1972. I received my shot or shots in the late 50's, still looking for my shot cards (records) which I had. I have always had a faint almost invisible scar whereas my sister who received the same shots had a more visible scar, indicating some people respond differently.

In reading up on the net about smallpox, I recall reading around 1949 there was a case of smallpox in New York and they got over 6 million people vaccinated in 2-3 weeks and if I recall right there was only two deaths, the first person that got it and one other.....Of course the vaccine was on hand to use.

[bonesmccoy]

I looked at the "whale.to" site and was not impressed. There was alot of unreferenced and unsubstantiated info there (especially in the discussion about vaccine failures).