Health official: Israel stockpiling smallpox vaccine

Ha'aretz ^ | 7/08/02 | Ha'aretz Service and Agencies

[Bogie]

One very good idea!

[Nogbad]

ping

[DreamWeaver]

Bump

For further opinions/discussion ?

[phasma proeliator]

I keep hoping that we start listening more to Israeli intel...

they know what they're doing and they play the game to their best interest (not to Political correctness).

[phasma proeliator]

< correction>

not to AS MUCH political correctness...

[Sabertooth]

((((((growl)))))

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[Woodstock]

There is something brewing here. Obviously, the threat is very real. When the US, and other countries, are scrambling to purchase massive quantities of a vaccine, be aware.

Personally, I'd like to be the first in line, with my kids, for this vaccination. Some folks want to argue the health risks. But, as every parent knows, all vaccinations carry a risk. Parents must sign a waiver for their children every time the child is given a new/updated vaccination.

[DreamWeaver]

they play the game to their best interest (not to Political correctness).

I couldn't agree with you more. There is of course so much going on behind the scenes within our own govt, that if we knew only half of it, it would be very frightening to say the least. Just last week a shipment of 20,000 gas masks were delivered to Congressman etc. Hmmmmm, what do they know that we don't know ?

I have this very strong "ominous " feeling that I cannot shake, and when I get a strong " feeling" I am usually right.

[redhead]

"The large numbers of unvaccinated people born in the interim have raised fears that terrorists or regimes which have experimented with biological weaponry, will try to use smallpox as a weapon of mass destruction."

They could cut down on some of the rush and panic if they would simply and quietly vaccinate everyone who comes to see a doctor or other medical professional. Even police and emt's could help with the distribution. It would be much slower than saying "On such-and-such a date, report to the armory to receive your vaccinations." This slowness would be a sort of mixed blessing, though, since it would allow the vaccination program to begin on a quiet level, and allow time for stockpiles to continue to build at the same time.

[A. Pole]

Klalit HMO Chairman Dan Michaeli, a former director-general of the Health Ministry, said Monday that Israel has begun stockpiling smallpox vaccine for possible future use in a biological weapons attack by a foreign power or terrorist organization.

How is it possible? I thought that only America and Russia has the alive smallpox cultures.

[A. Pole]

There is something brewing here. Obviously, the threat is very real. When the US, and other countries, are scrambling to purchase massive quantities of a vaccine, be aware.

Why not to destroy the two remaining smallpox cultures in USA and Russia instead of multiplying/increasing them to work on vaccines intended to protect us from them?

I understand that it is hard to secure honest procedure of destruction of the remaining cultures. So maybe it is enought to leave them alone and not to risk revival of the plague?

[archy]

There is something brewing here. Obviously, the threat is very real. When the US, and other countries, are scrambling to purchase massive quantities of a vaccine, be aware.

Personally, I'd like to be the first in line, with my kids, for this vaccination. Some folks want to argue the health risks. But, as every parent knows, all vaccinations carry a risk. Parents must sign a waiver for their children every time the child is given a new/updated vaccination.

If you're really willing to bet that any form of Smallpox used as a biowar agent won't be genetically modified and weaponized if it's really coming from a foreign terrorist enemy, then put all your hopes in a vaccine untested against that particular agent and from which all the possible contraindications and side effects, like blindness, ane not yet known. You and your kids should make excellent guinea pigs to determine such hazards for others, and a trip to Israel to so volunteer is as easy for you as a phone call to El Al at 800-223-6700 or 212-768-9200, or a reservation via the El Al website reservation form or through your local travel agent.

Good luck!

-archy-/-

[The Great Satan]

Months ago, Dick Cheney told Tony Blair to expect Saddam to use sleeper agents to disperse biological agents in allied countries when we try to take him out. Blair turned around and ordered 16 million doses of smallpox vaccine, and the British government openly threatened Iraq with nuclear weapons. That what's going on. There is no big mystery about it.

[Woodstock]

You and your kids should make excellent guinea pigs to determine such hazards for others, and a trip to Israel to so volunteer is as easy for you as a phone call to El Al at 800-223-6700 or 212-768-9200, or a reservation via the El Al website reservation form or through your local travel agent.

Sheesh - I guess you forgot to take your Prozac this morning?

[texasbluebell]

But it just doesn't make sense though, that Saddam would use smallpox if everyone that he wants to attack with smallpox is already immunized against it. What will happen is that unimmunized millions in other countries will die. (Not that he would lose any sleep over that.)

Saddam isn't stupid, in spite of his madness. I'll bet he would release some other bio agents for which we wouldn't be immunized.

Not that I wasn't against stopping the smallpox immunization program in the 70s. It drove me nuts when they did that. And I think it should be reinstituted.

But it doesn't seem logical that Saddam would waste his opportunity to hit us by using something we're prepared for. There are so many other deadly agents that he's capable of using. Just a thought.

[phasma proeliator]

Absolutely no offense intended -

but if you try to rationalize terrorism - you're only going to confuse yourself and allow the enemy time to act.

[texasbluebell]

Well, you have a point there! I hadn't thought of it that way, but yes, very true. And if so, then at least we'll be protected if that madman does use smallpox against us. If that's to be his best shot at us, and he falls afterwards, we'll be in luck.