[Dark Wing]

ping

[My Identity]

Why so much press in the US and the UK over smallpox vaccines?? This is way beyond standard security measures.

[mdittmar]

New smallpox terror alert

Government officials rushed to make it clear that the order did not mean Britain was immediately being put on a higher state of alert against a biological attack

These writers must work for Reuters.

[MississippiMan]

A note in the headline that this was from the UK would've been appropriate.

MM

[Britton J Wingfield]

It seems to me that any smallpox outbreak would be a much bigger catastrophe in countries like Pakistan, China & India than in industrialized nations where we have at least some vaccine, and have modern sanitation. Even if they hit New York, it might well end up in Central Asia within hours.

If it hit Israel, the Israelis would be much more capable of dealing with it than the Palestinians, and it just might wipe out the Palestinian population. Islamic terrorists just might score an own-goal with something like this. Of course, they can always blame it on the Mossad.

[firebrand]

Things only make sense if time goes backwards, as Martin Amis so brilliantly showed in Time's Arrow.

1. Smallpox is rampant, having been caused intentionally.
2. There is no more smallpox.
3. There is some smallpox, but at least it wasn't caused intentionally.

[-YYZ-]

Just out of interest: I was vaccinated as a child in the late 60's or early 70's, of course. I understand that that vaccination may not have much effectiveness anymore. While in basic training, we were re-vaccinated for a variety of diseases. Some of the guys got a shot that caused a huge sore on their arm - would that be a smallpox vaccination? If so, does it cause as nasty a reaction in people who have been previously vaccinated (I didn't get that shot in basic)? Anyone know?