# Small Pox Vaccine **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 9, 2001, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-pox-vaccine/86327 "2001-10-09T14:28:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-pox-vaccine/86327/1 "2001-10-09T14:28:07Z")
Never giving it much thought until recently, I understand the doctors do not even bother immunizing children against Small Pox. If it is now a potential threat, and one expert claims it IS the biggest threat…can’t we all just get immunized? Is it a matter of mass production? Can’t we get it moving now and start immunizing the public? (BTW, when did they stop immunizing children against it?) - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-pox-vaccine/86327/2 "2001-10-09T14:36:55Z")
Side question: Isn’t that little round scar on one’s upper left arm from the smallpox shot? Or is my memory faulty and it’s something else? ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-pox-vaccine/86327/3 "2001-10-09T15:04:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scarlett67 \* > \*\*Side question: Isn’t that little round scar on one’s upper left arm from the smallpox shot? Or is my memory faulty and it’s something else? \*\* You may be correct, but I think it depends on the year you were born. I believe it was only stopped in the last 15-20 years? I’m curious to learn more about this myself…I’ll let you know what I find out. - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![absimia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bbe5ce/32.png) [@absimia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/absimia)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-pox-vaccine/86327/4 "2001-10-09T15:12:50Z")
I just read about all this lately, in Time magazine as I recall. Immunization for small pox in this country ended in 1972. The period of immunity is only about 10 years, so those who were immunized are not receiving any benefits for it. There are currently only a few hundred thousand immunization doses still in existence. They are kept frozen in someplace or other, but there is a question as to whether or not they are still effective. No one currently makes the vaccine, although presumably someone could. However, just speculation on my part here, I doubt mass production of a bioform is terribly easy to start up…especially when dealing with an _extremely_ virulent and dangerous bug like smallpox. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-pox-vaccine/86327/5 "2001-10-09T15:30:21Z")
Smallpox was declared eradicated in 1979 or so by the World Health Organization. In that situation, vaccination would provide little benefit, but risk side effects. Now that it could be a potential threat, it looks like they’ll have to gear up to produce more vaccine. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2001, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-pox-vaccine/86327/6 "2001-10-10T00:00:46Z")
The vaccine had a low incidence of harmful side effects, so it was discontinued when it appeared to be doing more harm than good. There are a few hundred thousand units of the vaccine still kicking around in storage. Last I heard, there was one plant in the world still set up to make the vaccine, but a few years ago they were shut down by the FDA for quality violations, and it will be a few more years before they’re back up and running. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2001, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-pox-vaccine/86327/7 "2001-10-10T01:37:11Z")
This has been discussed ad nauseam. Do a search. This thread is closed. bibliophage moderator GQ