Dark Smallpox Winter

The Wall Street Journal | February 11, 2003

[Jaxter]

Hate to nitpick but an M1A is a civilian version of an M-14 while a Garand is the M-1 Rifle (As opposed to the M-1 Carbine). The M-1 is .30-06 and the M-14 and M1A are .308 caliber.

[ez]

. I'm trying to decide on the best food to stock for children. Baby hardest as it has to be somewhat mushy.

Rice. And a water purifier.

[section9]

Not a problem. I was speaking of the Garand.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[ccmay]

Only 1.25 million doses remain, and their distribution becomes violent.

That was then, this is now. We have something like 150 million doses available now, and more every day.

Don't panic, people. We can handle smallpox if it comes. Most people over age 35 or so who got the vaccination should have at least partial immunity. We have enough vaccine for them and everyone else, or soon will. There is a lag between exposure and disease onset and the vaccine can be given during this time.

Muslim wackos would be crazy to use smallpox as a weapon. It would run like wildfire through their own countries as well as the rest of the Turd World. The West, on the other hand, would suffer less than in the influenza epidemic of 1918.

-ccm

[butter pecan fan]

This is true. We are actually prepared for smallpox now, whereas they are not. We have enough vaccine for everyone in the country, so an outbreak could be contained without massive damage. In addition, we generally have far better health care and communications infrastructure than many middle eastern countries.

There is simply no way it wouldn't escape into the Middle East and the Third World (and even if, against all odds, it didn't escape naturally, it would probably be deliberately "escaped" later through the vengeful action of some individual westerner whose family was hit with it). They would be hurt far worse with it than we would be. And as a result, they would likely lose most of the financial and other support they currently have.

[libertylass]

I haven't read the whole post yet, so I hope I'm not duplicating here.....but there are food grinders that can be turned by hand. Good for other uses too, not just for making baby foods. The Non-Electric catalog has lots of these items, or get the kind that you attach to the end of a table or counter and grind away. I found mine at a flea market. It's heavy metal with a couple of attachments.

[RightWhale]

stock up on food and ammunition

You probably have enough duct tape and drop cloth, but better get some more.

[libertylass]

Baby Needs:

Applesauces are great for storing and they have various healthy types. Also, pablum (sp), powdered milks and boxed milks (2%-very good), raisins, dried fruits, nuts, crackers, orange/apple juices in the can, little sausages, chicken breasts (in a can), lots of canned veggies. Babies can eat peas, sweet potatoes, soups broths, peaches (no sugars added), and stock up on Tylenol and Phenergan (from your doctor). Phenergan suppositories stops vomiting. LOTS OF WATER!! I could go on forever.

[Nebullis]

Until there is an outbreak, the sure risk of the vaccine is greater than risk of the disease.

Be aware that the last time the world really had to deal with smallpox was in the '60's. (BTW, the last known incident of smallpox early in the '70's in Eastern Europe, was a traveler infected after a trip to IRAQ,, who spread it to 7 other people in the hospital. 300,000 people were vaccinated in the area.) Anyway, medicine has advanced a bit and there is an IV treatment for smallpox. It's one of the medicines used to treat AIDS patients. Another interesting tidbit is that the US military stopped routine smallpox vaccines after immune compromised personnel started dying from the vaccine. Hidden cases of AIDS were the cause. At that time, in the early eightees, routine testing was not a practical solution.

BTW, for many of us, who were vaccinated against smallpox as youngsters, the risk of side effects from a booster is reduced from 30/million to 1/150 million.

[Nebullis]

I have heard, however, that a hemorraghic smallpox strain developed in the former soviet union is not sensitive to vaccinia (cowpox) immunity. Currently, vaccinia is the virus used in the vaccines.

[TXBubba]

Thanks to you both. I have noted information and will begin preparation.

[woofie]

ping

[Bon mots]

There is simply no way it wouldn't escape into the Middle East and the Third World (and even if, against all odds, it didn't escape naturally, it would probably be deliberately "escaped" later through the vengeful action of some individual westerner whose family was hit with it)...

You've got that right. If one member of my family even gets sick, my lifelong goal will be to carry as many bugs to Mecca as possible... even if I have to crawl there.

[woofie]

scary

[bonesmccoy]

Defend America.

Shoot a crow.

Newcastle Quarantine/Emergency area

[Centurion2000]

Then comes the blackmail. Newspapers receive a letter demanding the removal of U.S. forces from Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf within a week. The letter threatens a new smallpox attack, combined with anthrax and the plague, if the U.S doesn't comply. It contains a genetic fingerprint matching the smallpox strain, proving its veracity.

Then comes the response ... Riydah, Mecca, Medina, Qom and other ME cites are incinerated by the US in retaliation for the attack.

[ventana]

Next time Freepers decide to counterprotest I think we all ought to show up with a smallpox picture; let's see if the anti-war faction knows what the US is really up against. The left need innoculation--information innoculation so they can resist the urge to be anti-war, if only out of self interest. V's wife.

[ventana]

'Splain a little more about Newcastle, bones. Seems it's quite the epidemic in SOCAL. V's wife.

[bonesmccoy]

Newcastle's is a disease transmitted between birds. All types of birds are involved. Poultry are the most concerning.

It is thought that the current problem was related to the cockfighting/gaming that is going on. People are taking infected birds from one county to another and they are spreading the germ.

The germ is not thought to be a threat to humans. However, it is a big threat to the poultry industry in California. The only way to stop the spread of the disease is to kill all poultry/animals in a farm/home diagnosed to have the germ.

They have had to kill 100,000+ birds in so. calif. already.

Meanwhile, I still see gadzillions of American crows hanging out near theme parks.