Smallpox … credible threat?

Factual Questions
1

Anthrax is getting most of the recent press coverage, but smallpox is in second place. I haven’t heard anything beyond speculation and “what if” scenarios to lead me to believe it’s really worth worrying about. If the US military was using smallpox vaccine on its troops before 9/11, they must have known something. If they weren’t before 9/11 but are now, what new information is there? If they weren’t vaccinating before 9/11 and still aren’t, why are the media so excited about it?

So my question is: What credible evidence is there to make us believe smallpox is a real threat?

2

I don’t believe that the U.S. was vaccinating the Army for smallpox recently. I’ve read that there was a plan to vaccinate the guys who respond to biohazard attacks for smallpox, but not the Army.

I believe the whole situation falls under the rubric of “Be Prepared.”

3

There have been several threads on this recently - do a search in GQ for smallpox.

As far as I’ve heard, there’s no specific reason to worry about smallpox, other than the simple fact that it would make a very good weapon if anyone got a hold of it. They’ve been vaccinating the military for years. There have been news stories in recent years about recruits getting in trouble for refusing to take the vaccine. As for why the media is freaking about it, well, it makes a good scary story.

4

You might try looking at the Announcement at the top of the list of threads

5

It would be a stupid weapon because it would eventually spread around the world and kill Arabs too.

6

No it wouldn’t; Allah will protect them.

:rolleyes:

7

The U.S. military stopped routine vaccination in 1990. See Cecil’s newest column, How long does a smallpox vaccination protect you?

8

Just read it.

Here’s a quote:

(4) However, antiterrorism experts suspect that other nations have gotten their rubber-glove-clad hands on the stuff, possibly including China, Iran, Iraq, Israel, North Korea, Serbia, and Pakistan. Some believe that Osama bin Laden’s organization and the Aum Shinrikyo cult in Japan also have some stashed.

I’d like to see something beyond “experts suspect”. I can do my own “suspecting”. Is this a hunch or do these people have anything credible, like location of repositories or labs?

Then the next question is, even if they have some stashed, how would they spread it? Suicide poxers? From Cecil’s article it sounds like they aren’t going to be in condition to be moving around, and it would be obvious from their appearance who they are.

9

They could spread the disease for two weeks before coming down with the initial symptoms. A huge disaster would be easily created.

10

“They could spread the disease for two weeks before coming down with the initial symptoms. A huge disaster would be easily created.”

No. People become infectious when the rash starts which is a day or two after they start feeling really sick.