NO SMALLPOX VACCINATIONS FOR AMERICANS

Fox News | 6/20/02 | Fox News

[goody2shooz]

Heard around 12:25 pm on Fox News Alert: the CDC, in a panel of twelve "experts", have announced that no widespread vaccinations of Americans will be conducted.

[goody2shooz]

Contact your Senators and members of Congress immediately if you reject this idea. It is vitally important that we PREVENT terrorism.

Frankly I believe this decision by the CDC stinks!

[Aggie Mama]

Why not give the option of receiving a vaccination if you want to?

[Dark Wing]

ping

[Tree of Liberty]

I believe that voluntary vaccinations were what was debated. I haven't heard what their reasons are. This is just an advisory, however, but will likely be followed. The ultimate decision is up to Sec. Thompson of HHS.

[Shermy]

HMOs not wanting to pay the costs?

[July 4th]

That would be a logical way to do it. Have a form that goes along with the vaccine - if it kills you, your family can't sue. I think the only reason they're not allowing vaccination for the general public is that there's a fairly high mortality rate (as medicines go) associated with the vaccine. Since there isn't currently a smallpox outbreak, the risks associated with the vaccine are outweighing the risk of infection.

[Snowy]

Did they give a reason???

[FreeTally]

The report in the other posts quoted the CDC as saying approximately 300 people would die if it was given out nationwide.

Also said that death becomes more of a possibility if the person has AIDS.

[Miss Marple]

I would like to see evidence of that "high mortality rate." Once upon a time EVERYONE got a smallpox vaccination. I have had two...once when I was a kid and once when I entered Indiana University in 1966, becaue it was REQUIRED.

All of my sisters, and my brother, and my husband, and my mother and father received this vaccination. There were no alarms about it at the time...it was considered routine.

I would venture that all freepers over the age of 40 have received the vaccination. I do not understand the sudden fear of something that was once considered a life-saving procedure.

[Aggie Mama]

Well sure. Anyone with a compromised immune system shouldn't be anywhere near a smallpox vaccine. =)

[Mixer]

Please!!! A forced vacination? Is that what you really want?

I think every American can decide for themselves if they want a vacination that might possibly kill them. Don't you?

[Atsilvquodi]

One of these days our government and all it's "tentacles" like the CDC, EPA, FBI, etc... will remember that WE THE PEOPLE run the show.

and one day - "We the People" will remember that WE run the show - and stop bending over everytime some new "law" or regulation is put into effect that directly restricts our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

I hope.

[pops88]

Considering the bio-engineering done with smallpox to use as a weapon, being vaccinated may not even matter.

[surely_you_jest]

I believe, but do not know, that this decision was based upon the government's experience with the Swine Flu innoculations some years ago. A lot of people were injured, it resulted in a lot of law suits, and bogged down the US Court of Federal Claims for years.

[July 4th]

Once upon a time EVERYONE got a smallpox vaccination.

True, but it killed people then as it would today. Also, the puss from the cowpox sore has the potential to harm people with weakened immune systems.

There were no alarms about it at the time...it was considered routine

True, but there was also a much higher possibility of infection. The virus was live and in humans.

I'm not against giving out the vaccine. If I could sign a waiver and get it, I would in a minute. However, there is a logical basis for the decision to withhold, as much as I disagree with it.

[Kaslin]

To give the vaccination out blindly to the whole population could be very dangerous to many people. For one thing if I can remember correctly if a person had been ill in the last 6 month or a year, or had any kind of infection or open wound that person would not qualify for the vaccination until the infection or would is completely healed, or a year or 6 month had passed since the illness. I don't remember which. Both my sons who were born in 1960 and 1963 were vaccinated, but my daughter was not. She was born in 1970 and when she was 7 month old she came down with Meninghities which disqualified her. Vaccination had already been stopped given at that time, but if it had not she would have had to wait until she wwas 2 years or so of age. Babies had to be one year old to receive the vaccination

[Kaslin]

No, not everyone did get a smallpox vaccination. For some people it was very dangerous to get one and if some got one that should not have gotten it they became very ill and died from it

[colorado tanker]

This sounds like the same kinda folks who tell us we're safer from a nuclear attack if we have no defense against one.

I'm so happy, however, that the doctor who would sign my death certificate would be vaccinated and safe.

[vannrox]

OK. No Manditory Vaccinations...
But what about voluntary Vaccinations?

[Redcloak]

Why not give the option of receiving a vaccination if you want to?

A free market solution?!? Are you psychotic?!?