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Ya know what I do not understand?

Where I am genuinely confused? Well...

If cowpox vaccinations can successfully prevent smallpox from occuring in humans.... WHY is there any shortage of vaccine? Can't it be made like in weeks from cowpox strains? The cowpox strains were how people protected themselves from smallpox in times long ago.

I've wondered that myself, and there appears to be little or no information out there on it. Perhaps we effectively extinguished cowpox along with smallpox, and didn't realize we were letting ourselves in for more problems later?

Here's some information on INFLUENZA mortality. The US did NOT lose 20,000 to flu last year, incidentally. This information is not from the 2000-2001 season, however.
HOW SERIOUS IS INFLUENZA HERE IN THE UNITED STATES?

Influenza and pneumonia (the most common complication of influenza) combined are the fourth leading cause of death among American women, and the fifth leading cause of death among all Americans over the age of 65. (More than 90% of the deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza were among individuals age 65 or older.)

In the United States:

The total number of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza has increased 104%, from 45,030 in 1979 to 91,871 individuals in 1998. In 1998, pneumonia caused 90,147 deaths and the 1,724 influenza deaths represented an increase of 139% from the 720 deaths seen in 1997. An estimated 200,000 – 500,000 Americans visit their doctor for respiratory diseases.

In 1999, pneumonia and influenza cost the US economy $25.6 billion in care and absenteeism.

In 1996, the National Health Interview Survey estimated that there were 90 million cases of influenza, 62.3 million episodes of the common cold, 12.1 million episodes of acute bronchitis, 4.8 million episodes of pneumonia, and more than one million hospitalizations nationwide.

I think if the terrorists are willing to do smallpox to us, despite the risk to their own people (yeah, like they care a lot about them), it is because the economic cost of normal flu, cold, and pneumonia season is already substantial enough to affect a weakened economy.

This is from http://www.texaslung.org/Influenza/01-02flu_update.htm. I would have posted better information but the sites I really wanted won't load. GRRR AOL.

If cowpox vaccinations can successfully prevent smallpox from occuring in humans.... WHY is there any shortage of vaccine? Can't it be made like in weeks from cowpox strains? The cowpox strains were how people protected themselves from smallpox in times long ago.

First you would have to have access to vaccina. Second, the FDA would not allow such a vaccine on the market. The current stockpiled vaccine would not be allowed if it were manufactured today. All the new vaccine will be grown in bioreactors containing large amounts of cultured cells.

Can't it be made like in weeks from cowpox strains?

Yes, that's why I don't understand why they're saying they can have some ready by summer, once the vaccinia virus infects a hosts it reproduces millions of viruses. The government wants to control it like they do everything else. Some good reasons ---the vaccine for smallpox is a live unattenuated virus and can cause serious infections in some people who lack a strong immune system. Then there are lawsuits --they probably want to make sure the dosages of the virus injected are enough but not too many....then there is that political issue of AIDS patients, because they cannot get a live virus vaccine or be exposed to someone who has it. But you can't trust the "experts" in the government or medicine completely either. People just need to become very informed and figure out what they will do. The good thing about this vaccine at least ---unlike the anthrax one ---is that it is a live contagious virus and even when they don't mean for it to be spread to others it happens all the time so it can happen intentionally too.