Not an orthopedic surgeon...but I know a few good ones.
Having problems just getting DT to patients with minor scratches and bites. Tetanus in short supply and literally rationed in many health care systems.
You got that right. I'm seeing shortages of nearly every vaccine. The vaccine companies are permitted to cost shift inventory to the physician offices. They're attempting to make physician offices buy in large bulk quantities. This improves the profit margin of the pharmaceutical company while killing the cash flow in the physicians office!
BTW, that scar of yours may not be so comforting...As far as I know, nobody has CHECKED antibody levels to smallpox in a large sample of previously immunized adults...Those immunized may not have sufficient antibodies from those vaccinations in the the early days.
Actually, there was a study I located on the 10 year IgG levels drawn after single dose and multiple doses of the small pox vaccine. The study suggested that multiple doses of vaccine 10 years apart conferred lifetime immunity to the disease. Therefore, any guy born in the 1950-1960 range who served in Vietnam is probably immune. The Nam vets got a first dose as a child and then got immunized prior to deployment in SE Asia. So, ironically, the heroes of Nam who are serving as first responders are probably the best candidates to serve our nation again! (Sorry to volunteer you guys...but the dumb public health bureaucrats are blocking my opportunity for a second dose!). Unfortunately, although the Nam vets might survive a biowarfare attack on our citizens, their families are unlikely to be similarly immunized. Unless they got a dose fast enough, they would probably get ill.
Of course obtaining this SCIENTIFIC information would would be something USEFUL the CDC could do! I am just ill about their glib, speculative pronouncements about national smallpox readiness.
Yes, I am also fed up with the ACIP's modus operandi. The HHS Secretary needs to stop being a politician and to start thinking like a CEO heading a huge corporation. If the ACIP can't make reasonable recommendations, scrap ACIP and go with a new system!
Are we prepared with sufficient antivirals to help large numbers of patients. This is very frustrating!
I agree. This is a bigger problem than the initial HIV epidemic was in 1981-1985. This threat is more significant because smallpox is being used as a weapon in international affairs. HIV was not.
I would rather take my chances with the vaccine and use antiviral drugs to alleviate vaccine side effects than need to use antivirals against variola.