U.S. to purchase 500 million Smallpox Vaccine Doses

DEBKAfile,AFP Wire, Drudge Report and World Net Daily ^ | November 28, 2001 | Terrorism Security Newsletter

[umbra]

No story for the evening update yet, just the headline..but I did find an interesting Agence France Presse wire article that says that the contract according to USA Today (now on Durdge) has an 'option' clause for an extra order of 250 million.

This is in addition to the first order for every man woman and child in the United States.

[texasbluebell]

I've heard conflicting info, but that within 7 days of exposure will still provide protection.

Last night, some expert on Fox said it's 3 days, I've also heard 4 days, but still enough time to get treated, let's hope.

[harpseal]

Its good to see you freeping again. I hope all my info was correct i am not a biologist and I don't even play one on TV and no I didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn express last night but at least I got the bifurcated needle part right.

Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown

[GOPJ]

No one knows the future, but smart money fears Saddam. He used chemical weapons on his own people. He's capable of anything.

[Nita Nupress]

I just heard last night on Fox that the only people to be given access to the vaccine will be doctors, medical workers, police, firefighters, EMS and anyone who is believed to have been exposed to the virus. In the event of an outbreak, are the rest of us going to be given the vaccine?

That depends on when an outbreak would occur. If it happened tomorrow, we have insufficient vaccine reserves (thank you, Bill Clinton) to be able to vaccinate anyone other than those who could possibly be exposed. This would include the people you listed above, as well as all hospital personnel who would have contact with patients and patient body fluids, linens, biohazard trash, etc. etc.

What would be interesting to watch is the decision-making process regarding which lucky hospital in an urban area gets the designation as "the smallpox hospital." It would make no epidemiological sense to allow smallpox patients to go to different hospitals.

[Harrison Bergeron]

And Now, The Good News Regarding Smallpox

[DC native]

I hope you're right about Ebola being more difficult to spread. All of my knowledge (admittedly very little) about Ebola came from The Hot Zone. That book made it seem stunningly easy to spread the disease.

[DC native]

I hope you're right about Ebola being more difficult to spread. All of my knowledge (admittedly very little) about Ebola came from The Hot Zone. That book made it seem stunningly easy to spread the disease.

[sistergoldenhair]

Last night, some expert on Fox said it's 3 days, I've also heard 4 days, but still enough time to get treated
Conflicting info.
We haven't had this problem in years so the data may be a bit unreliable.
Also, there may be combinations of drugs that could be used in conjunction with vaccination that were not available years ago.

[jeremiah]

Why right now? Because if we wait until people are diagnosed with smallpox, it will be to late. The Demon in the Freezer

[Nita Nupress]

Well, crap.

I had obviously repressed the memory of how gross that was.

LOL! Yeah, but it's better than trying to suppress a memory of looking in the mirror and being covered with hundreds of those nasty smallpox pustules. I had chickpox a few years ago and I'm just now losing the scar of one of those gross things on my face.

Yes, I know. I'm so vain. :-/

[altayann]

Or some leader like, say, Saddam Hussein might decide in the event of an invasion by U.S forces, that if he's going down, he's going to take as many people as possible with him.

And if his country goes down with him? So what? If he's going to die, his country might as well go with him.

[texasbluebell]

500 million doses is about enough for 60 million people. What about the other 230 million?

No, 500 million doses is enough for all of us just about twice. But you only need one dose to be immune, as I recall, with this stuff. I think they want a lot on hand in case of outbreaks elsewhere. I've heard that they now have 75 million doses, if they dilute the current stock by 5 or 10 times each dose. That way there'll be enough to contain it if there are outbreaks around the world. Sounds like they want to get a large stock, and not a day too soon!

[Nita Nupress]

Its good to see you freeping again. I hope all my info was correct i am not a biologist and I don't even play one on TV and no I didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn express last night but at least I got the bifurcated needle part right.

Your info was right on target, harpseal. And it's nice to see you again, too. :-)

Hmmm.... I wonder if you can FReep when you have smallpox...

[stanz]

Let's just hope this never comes to pass. I never thought I'd live to see the day where insanity would overrule a "civilized" society.

[stanz]

The last time I was vaccinated for smallpox was in 1980 in preparation for a trip to Egypt. It was my second vaccination since childhood and actually, it was relatively painless and uneventful. The first time around, I imagine, would be more difficult in terms of reaction.

[Eowyn-of-Rohan]

THAT'S the one I am afraid of. There isn't much talk about ebola...what a gruesome way to go. And they've only tested the ebola vaccine on monkeys, I believe, though it seems to work on them, which is good news.

[Dog Gone]

I need some sagging, aging skin to cover up a few scars.

[Nita Nupress]

I need some sagging, aging skin to cover up a few scars.

Well, don't look at me for any help. Personally, I don't have any sagging, aging skin. Don't even know what it looks like. Wouldn't recognize it if I saw it.

[Nita Nupress]

Denial is a wonderful thing, ain't it?

[Dog Gone]

Where did you say that scar was?