[harrier13]

Why haven't you done that for the flu?

It kills 20,000 people a year.

[ChemistCat]

Flu doesn't kill one out of three who get it (although there have been flu epidemics almost that deadly--1918 comes to mind.) Nor does flu permanantly disfigure a beautiful young lady or boy who gets it as smallpox does. I've seen photos of people who couldn't close their eyes because of smallpox scars.

And flu outbreaks follow a predictable and natural spread pattern. That's why they track it by state and county. Flu has not, as far as I know, been spread "deliberately" at any time, although I think corporations and schools that force people to congregate with others when ill ought to be criminally liable for that.

But if you look back through my older posts on FR you'll see that I am a serious advocate for flu preparedness, also. Watch people in any public restroom. They go in the stall, they do their thing, they come out, they leave, usually rubbing their eyes or otherwise touching their faces with whatever virus they've unconsciously trolled for. Depending on location and education level, 1/4-2/3 of us do not wash hands, and those who do usually touch the doorknob on the way out (thereby making their handwashing rather moot.)


I don't want to have to try to figure out how to take care of someone sick with this. I generally have a clue about flu (and as an at-risk adult, I get my flu shot, so I'll be well if I have to take care of a child with flu.)

[ThePythonicCow]

Why haven't you done that for the flu?
It kills 20,000 people a year.

If flu hits my family (all healthy adults and teenagers) there is one chance in what - a million? - that one of us would die, and not much greater chance that any of us would suffer life scarring disfigurement or pain.

If smallpox hits my family, probably 1 in 3 of us is dead, and the other 2 spent a few days wishing we were dead too. Unless that is, the terrorists manage to let lose one of the more deadly forms, in which case its 9 in 10 chances all 3 of us are dead.

In other words, unchecked smallpox in a mobile unvaccinated population is far far more deadly than unchecked flu.

That's why one might consider locking the door and staying home for a month or two.

[xm177e2]

Smallpox kills healthy people, the flu almost solely kills the weakest members of society. If you survive the flu, everything goes back to normal. If you survive smallpox, you can be left with hideous scarring.

[Jethro Tull]

"Why haven't you done that for the flu?"

So I gather you're going to the mall at the first sign of SP?