We don't need no steenkin' smallpox vaccination!

Nothing But Net · 12-14-2002, 11:49 AM

I believe the War On Terrorism has moved into the realm of fear mongering. As with any vaccine, certain people are at risk:

<img src="http://i.cnn.net/cnn/interactive/health/0211/smallpox.vaccine/gall.vaccine.reax.jpg">

No thanx, I'll take my chances on the terrorists...

jaguar · 12-14-2002, 04:35 PM

I donno, the smallpox things worries me. The fact both the Aussie and American govt choose the exact same time to start immunising people etcetc i find a tad offputting. I mean lets face it if they knew it was going to happen tomorow we woudl not be told, it would cause absolute chaos, there is nowhere near enough vaccine to go around.

oh look! a black helicopter.....

Undertoad · 12-14-2002, 04:48 PM

This is smallpox, though:

Nothing But Net · 12-14-2002, 07:26 PM

Ewwww..

Bubble wrapped and ready for immediate shipment!

wolf · 12-14-2002, 09:19 PM

I'm thinking it's worth taking my chances with the vaccine.

I work in healthcare.

I get exposed to everything. I'm careful, but shit still happens.

I utter a sigh of relief every year when my TB test coms back negative. I've had the Hepatitis B Vaccine (before it was fashionable). I get my flu shot every year.

We heard recently they are going to release the first round of vaccine to heathcare workers, but we don't yet know if our facility is included.

Griff · 12-15-2002, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jaguar
I donno, the smallpox things worries me. The fact both the Aussie and American govt choose the exact same time to start immunising people etcetc i find a tad offputting.

Combined with the continued hyping of Iraq as the source of terrorist WMD, you might even wonder whether we helped get Saddam started in the business back in the good old days when he was our ally and was busy gassing Kurds. After all, if I remember correctly, there were only two publicly acknowleged small pox cultures in existence, one American one Russian...blanking helicopters all over the place...

jaguar · 12-15-2002, 03:05 PM

Gave him plenty of other stuff.

I donno, bio weapons scare the hell outa me like nothing else. I mean all someone needs to do is spray that shit in LAX and half the world wil be infected by the time the first symptoms show. You can nuke a place and its gone, you can chem a place and its gone but bio is the weapon that keeps on givng.

juju · 12-15-2002, 04:03 PM

This thread was a complete mystery to me until I finally watched my recording of 60 Minutes II yesterday. Now I see the light! Thanks for the explanation, folks! :)

jaguar · 12-15-2002, 04:30 PM

....?

Griff · 12-15-2002, 05:04 PM

I'm going to wait and see what happens to the health professionals who will end up being the guinea pigs on this one. I'm old enough to have had the original shot as a kid with no negative effects but never had the follow-up booster. I assume if I was going to have a bad reaction, I would've way back when, unless they screw up...

Griff · 12-15-2002, 06:50 PM

Here's a link to the Health and Human Services Smallpox page. It's time to get informed on this one. According to a Yahoo article I skimmed the gov is not recommending everyone get vaccinated and it is a live culture vaccine so you can expose others to a weak form of the virus if you get the shot. If I were a first responder I'd do it but for now I'm gonna wait and see. I'm gonna do some reading.

Griff · 12-15-2002, 06:59 PM

I'm already wrong on one count.

The Smallpox Vaccine
The smallpox vaccine helps the body develop immunity to smallpox. The vaccine is made from a virus called vaccinia which is a "pox"-type virus related to smallpox. The smallpox vaccine contains the "live" vaccinia virus-not dead virus like many other vaccines. For that reason, the vaccination site must be cared for carefully to prevent the virus from spreading. Also, the vaccine can have side effects (see the section "Smallpox Vaccine Safety" in this fact sheet). The vaccine does not contain the smallpox virus and cannot give you smallpox.

Currently, the United States has a big enough stockpile of smallpox vaccine to vaccinate everyone who might need it in the event of an emergency. Production of new vaccine is underway.

Griff · 12-16-2002, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jaguar
Gave him plenty of other stuff.

In case folks are not familiar with that story here's a little something from the LA Times
According to accidental disclosures in a 1999 U.N. report compiled under then-chief weapons inspector Richard Butler, from 1985 to 1989, Iraq bought strains of anthrax, botulinum toxin, gangrene, West Nile virus and other pathogens from the American Type Culture Collection, a biological supply firm in Rockville, Md. Iraq also successfully ordered germ strains from the Pasteur Institute in Paris.

headsplice · 12-16-2002, 12:13 PM

This is unconfirmed, but, didn't the United States give Iraq biologicals in the early 80's? I remember hearing (so this is anecdotal and should be taken with due caution) that we supplied a major university in Iraq with several different forms of nastiness to help them in *quote*medical research*unquote*. Only problem: that university was a front for military research. I also remember that this little tidbit was exposed in the 80's, but not too many people got in a stink about it. I'll try and find more, or, if anyone else can confirm, that would be nifty.

jaguar · 12-16-2002, 03:59 PM

Yea pretty much headsplice - it went on after the gassing of Kurds as well.

12-14-2002, 11:49 AM	#1
Nothing But Net Professor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Spring, Texas Posts: 1,481	We don't need no steenkin' smallpox vaccination! I believe the War On Terrorism has moved into the realm of fear mongering. As with any vaccine, certain people are at risk: <img src="http://i.cnn.net/cnn/interactive/health/0211/smallpox.vaccine/gall.vaccine.reax.jpg"> No thanx, I'll take my chances on the terrorists...

12-14-2002, 04:35 PM	#2
jaguar whig Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 5,075	I donno, the smallpox things worries me. The fact both the Aussie and American govt choose the exact same time to start immunising people etcetc i find a tad offputting. I mean lets face it if they knew it was going to happen tomorow we woudl not be told, it would cause absolute chaos, there is nowhere near enough vaccine to go around. oh look! a black helicopter..... __________________ Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life. - Twain

12-14-2002, 09:19 PM	#5
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	I'm thinking it's worth taking my chances with the vaccine. I work in healthcare. I get exposed to everything. I'm careful, but shit still happens. I utter a sigh of relief every year when my TB test coms back negative. I've had the Hepatitis B Vaccine (before it was fashionable). I get my flu shot every year. We heard recently they are going to release the first round of vaccine to heathcare workers, but we don't yet know if our facility is included. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

12-15-2002, 03:05 PM	#7
jaguar whig Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 5,075	Gave him plenty of other stuff. I donno, bio weapons scare the hell outa me like nothing else. I mean all someone needs to do is spray that shit in LAX and half the world wil be infected by the time the first symptoms show. You can nuke a place and its gone, you can chem a place and its gone but bio is the weapon that keeps on givng. __________________ Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life. - Twain

12-15-2002, 04:03 PM	#8
juju no one of consequence Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Arkansas Posts: 2,839	This thread was a complete mystery to me until I finally watched my recording of 60 Minutes II yesterday. Now I see the light! Thanks for the explanation, folks! :) Last edited by juju; 12-15-2002 at 04:08 PM.

12-14-2002, 04:48 PM	#3
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	This is smallpox, though:

12-14-2002, 07:26 PM	#4
Nothing But Net Professor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Spring, Texas Posts: 1,481	Ewwww.. Bubble wrapped and ready for immediate shipment!

12-15-2002, 04:30 PM	#9
jaguar whig Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 5,075	....? __________________ Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life. - Twain

12-15-2002, 05:04 PM	#10
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	I'm going to wait and see what happens to the health professionals who will end up being the guinea pigs on this one. I'm old enough to have had the original shot as a kid with no negative effects but never had the follow-up booster. I assume if I was going to have a bad reaction, I would've way back when, unless they screw up... __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

12-15-2002, 06:50 PM	#11
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	Here's a link to the Health and Human Services Smallpox page. It's time to get informed on this one. According to a Yahoo article I skimmed the gov is not recommending everyone get vaccinated and it is a live culture vaccine so you can expose others to a weak form of the virus if you get the shot. If I were a first responder I'd do it but for now I'm gonna wait and see. I'm gonna do some reading. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

12-15-2002, 06:59 PM	#12
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	I'm already wrong on one count. The Smallpox Vaccine The smallpox vaccine helps the body develop immunity to smallpox. The vaccine is made from a virus called vaccinia which is a "pox"-type virus related to smallpox. The smallpox vaccine contains the "live" vaccinia virus-not dead virus like many other vaccines. For that reason, the vaccination site must be cared for carefully to prevent the virus from spreading. Also, the vaccine can have side effects (see the section "Smallpox Vaccine Safety" in this fact sheet). The vaccine does not contain the smallpox virus and cannot give you smallpox. Currently, the United States has a big enough stockpile of smallpox vaccine to vaccinate everyone who might need it in the event of an emergency. Production of new vaccine is underway. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

12-16-2002, 12:13 PM	#14
headsplice Relaxed Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 676	This is unconfirmed, but, didn't the United States give Iraq biologicals in the early 80's? I remember hearing (so this is anecdotal and should be taken with due caution) that we supplied a major university in Iraq with several different forms of nastiness to help them in quotemedical researchunquote. Only problem: that university was a front for military research. I also remember that this little tidbit was exposed in the 80's, but not too many people got in a stink about it. I'll try and find more, or, if anyone else can confirm, that would be nifty. __________________ Don't Panic

12-16-2002, 03:59 PM	#15
jaguar whig Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 5,075	Yea pretty much headsplice - it went on after the gassing of Kurds as well. __________________ Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life. - Twain

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