Bush May Order Everyone Injected With Smallpox Vaccine

Rense.com | 11-9-1

[Magician]

All Americans could be forced to have smallpox jabs under plans being considered by President Bush, despite fears that such a programme would kill hundreds.

Underlining White House fears about America's vulnerability to a new wave of bioterrorism, Mr Bush said that he was discussing with Tommy Thompson, the Health Secretary, whether to order mandatory vaccinations.

"One of my concerns is if we were to have universal vaccination, some might lose their life," he said. "But I'm looking at all options, all possibilities."

Authorities in the US have already announced that they intend to stockpile 300 million doses of smallpox vaccine, enough for the country's 260 million citizens. But last night was the first time that anyone had suggested they would be compulsory rather than used to cover an emergency.

Mr Bush made his remarks yesterday as he was touring the Centres for Disease Control in Atlanta, which houses one of only two officially kept samples of smallpox since the World Health Organisation declared in 1979 that the virus had been eradicated. Earlier this week scientists at the Vektor Institute in Siberia, which holds the other sample, gave warning that underpaid Russian workers could be tempted to sell the virus to terrorists.

The last case of smallpox was in 1977. The vaccine is fatal for one in a million cases.

[Willie Green]

Only thing I know is what I vaguely remember from history class. I thought they actually used a vaccine made from cowpox -- a related but less lethal disease. But then, maybe that was the very first form of the vaccine that they discovered and they developed even more effective forms using actual smallpox later on.

Sorry, that's all I can remember, and I'm really not sure how accurate it is.

[Rowdee]

Wonder if their 1 in a million figure includes those who have weakened auto immune systems?

[carenot]

I remember that, too.

[stlnative]

I am the youngest of 4 kids and was born in July of 1966... My siblings have been vacinated, they have the scars. I asked my mother if I was vacinated but she does not remember. I would have entered kindergarten in the fall of 1971, just after I turned 5 years old. I thought they stopped doing it in 1970, but I could be wrong. The reason I would like to know is, if I was vacinated and did not have reaction then then I would not hesitate to be revacinated now. If I was never vacinated as a child then, I have to convince myself that the threat is real and that they may try to infect us or I will not get myself vacinated. I would probably be the type of person who would wait while others went before me just to see if there are many people having reactions to it.

[SarahW]

oh, and that would be "innoculated", not injected. A significant difference...

[Bush2000]

Nobody can force you to be injected with any medication, bub.

[LibWhacker]

If it didn't kill us then...would it kill us now?

I think in general one's allergies tend to get worse as one gets older. For instance, I'm allergic to a lot of things now that I was not allergic to as a kid: penicillin, cat/horse/dog/cow danders (though I'll be darned if I'll give up my dog!), dust, etc. I think it all depends on what you've been exposed to in your life, and how your body reacts to it. I had at least three small pox vaccines when I was young, no problem. I have no idea how I'd react to it now. Still, I'd much rather take my chances with the vaccine than with the bug (one in a million chance I'd die vs. one in three -- Plus if the president orders it -- not that I'm especially brave, mind you! -- I'll gladly do it . . . duty and all, 'ya know?). Cheers!

[IronJack]

All Americans could be forced to have smallpox jabs under plans being considered by President Bush ...

Sorry, but the president has no power to order such a thing. The Constitution does not authorize any such power. I don't care what kind of "national emergency" exists.

[grania]

I'd be willing to have the vaccination

And, if you want it, you should get it. But FORCED medicine? Wouldn't that be just a little scarey?

[culpeper]

I had this rash once (not a joke) and felt horrible, it was a Saturday so I went to one of those medi quick places. The doctor checked me out and thought I might have smallpox, they rushed me to the local hospital bypassing the usual check in procedure and the resident infectious disease specialist examined me. Turned out I had caught Coxackie virus from my daughter who had it two weeks before. Its really rare in adults and can kill an adult. The doctor asked me if I had been doing any strenuous activities and the past week or two I had been digging stumps out and it was like 100 degrees that week. She said I had lowered my immune system working outside in the heat and developed the symptoms. In kids its not a big deal my daughter got over it in like a day but because adults are simply bigger there are more cells for the virus to multiply so you get sicker. Turns out Coxsackie virus is the most common virus after the common cold but only like 1 in 1000 ever develop symptoms. It can also cause meningitus and temporary paralysis which I had in my knees. I recovered after three days but it kicked the crap out of me. I'm a pretty strong dude, pump alot of iron etc, but couldn't believe how this thing hit me. This was a couple of years ago before any terrorist issues and they thought it was smallpox and they took it extremely seriously so I could imagine how they would react now. Plus little kids don't get vaccines now for smallpox and little kids are the ones that usually get Coxackie virus so I could see some panic if there is a locallized outbreak of Coxackie. For some reason Coxackie breakouts are usually in August which is when I got it. Pretty wierd stuff but I thought I'd add the info.

[stlnative]

You know to think about it my husband is 13 years older than I and has been vacinated more than once (once as a child and when he was in the army) He does not have any scars on him from it. Does anyone know when they actually stopped giving them to children because they felt it was not needed anymore?

[jammer]

How could I forget Penny Marshall????? Well, it may be because I watched about 15 minutes of the show once. It may not have been representative, but it forced me to conclude that it was the most inane creation from a place that specializes in inane creations.

Yes, the gov probably has the power to force it. I dunno', though. When they legislated it in the past, people had polio very much on their minds, without today's complacency about diseases that have been all but eradicated. As for the infant injections, there is little opposition and a strong constituency for it.

But like VietNam, it may be that passing the law (entering the war) is much easier that prevailing once opposition is mobilized. Bad analogy, I know, but you get the point.

[Chemnitz]

Never criticize someone that attractive.

[muggs]

Does anyone know when they actually stopped giving them to children because they felt it was not needed anymore?

1972

[maestro]

My question is, WHY can't you NOW get a 'Tetnus' shot (Vaccine) for yourself or children at ANY Dr.'s office??
(ANOTHER World-wide shortage in our High-Tech Age)
REALLY DUMB and DANGEROUS!!

[walden]

"Who knows what else they might try to hide in the shot?"

Member since Oct 8, 2001. Well, you know, there are *special* vaccines set aside for democrats, but shhhhhh-- don't tell anyone I told you that.

[stlnative]

Thanks muggs, then I bet I was vacinated before entering kindergarten.
I just don't bear the scar that some people do from being vacinated.

[redhead]

I've been vaccinated twice. The first time was the mandatory one in school, probably around age 8, which produced the normal 3/4" scab and scar. Then, I was revaccinated about 25 years later, in the late 60's, and the reaction was much smaller. I was told I'd probably be immune for life because of the double shot, but if it comes around again, I'm taking it.