confusing news item about Smallpox

steeljack · 19-10-2007, 00:21

just come across this news item on the BBC news web-site
BBC NEWS | UK | England | Secret world of bio-attack teams

the thing which confuses me is the report that the UK Govt. has enough stocks of vaccine available for everyone in Britain , according to the report the last case of Smallpox in the UK was in the 30s and the last World wide case was in 1978. So why is the UK Govt. spending money on replenishing 60 odd million doses of vaccine every so many years (I'm not a bio chemist, but I don't think any kind of vacine would have a shelf life of 30 odd years) Do the people in power know something they aren't telling the general population ? have there been un-reported outbreaks in various parts of the World where the "bad guys" live ,or have the boffins at Porton Down created a 'super' weapon from which the British population will be protected .

apologies, in a conspiracy mood today

BERNADETTE · 19-10-2007, 00:31

Does make you wonder why all these vaccines are being stock-piled when the last major outbreak was so long ago.

SPUGGIE J · 19-10-2007, 01:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by steeljack

just come across this news item on the BBC news web-site
BBC NEWS | UK | England | Secret world of bio-attack teams

the thing which confuses me is the report that the UK Govt. has enough stocks of vaccine available for everyone in Britain , according to the report the last case of Smallpox in the UK was in the 30s and the last World wide case was in 1978. So why is the UK Govt. spending money on replenishing 60 odd million doses of vaccine every so many years (I'm not a bio chemist, but I don't think any kind of vacine would have a shelf life of 30 odd years) Do the people in power know something they aren't telling the general population ? have there been un-reported outbreaks in various parts of the World where the "bad guys" live ,or have the boffins at Porton Down created a 'super' weapon from which the British population will be protected .

apologies, in a conspiracy mood today

Oh bother and I have one on another site. What is it with conspiracies lately?
Mind you if that is the case I had better start being a milk made to avoid the small pox.

WillowTheWhisp · 19-10-2007, 06:30

Well it's nice to know their contingency plan is ring vaccination when you consider that someone from the south of England could be in Scotland in hours!

jambutty · 19-10-2007, 18:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by steeljack

just come across this news item on the BBC news web-site
BBC NEWS | UK | England | Secret world of bio-attack teams

the thing which confuses me is the report that the UK Govt. has enough stocks of vaccine available for everyone in Britain , according to the report the last case of Smallpox in the UK was in the 30s and the last World wide case was in 1978. So why is the UK Govt. spending money on replenishing 60 odd million doses of vaccine every so many years (I'm not a bio chemist, but I don't think any kind of vacine would have a shelf life of 30 odd years) Do the people in power know something they aren't telling the general population ? have there been un-reported outbreaks in various parts of the World where the "bad guys" live ,or have the boffins at Porton Down created a 'super' weapon from which the British population will be protected .

apologies, in a conspiracy mood today

If they didn’t spend it on new vaccines the government would not have an excuse not to up the old age pension.

But then a few radicals already infected with smallpox could come into the country and spend the next few days wandering around the big cities.

The SMART teams rely on people reporting ill but a terrorist would be unlikely to report sick. He would just wander round until he dropped and by then it would be too late.

Just imagine what damage one person could do in London if he spent just one day on the underground. What about three days just riding round and round. He could infect millions before anyone knew anything about it. Other radicals in Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Preston, Newcastle, Cardiff, Dublin, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

10 carriers could flatten this country.

Sleep well!

West Ender · 19-10-2007, 20:56

They may say the 30s but there was an incidence of smallpox in the Asian community in Bradford in 1961. I used to stay with my future in-laws, in Bradford, at the time and because of that my GP vaccinated me. I remember it well because some days later, when the scab came up, I felt quite poorly. I went back to see him (Dr. Stewart on Thwaites Rd., a Scotsman) and he said, puffing away on a fag, "Imagine having those all over your body, lassie, you'd probably snuff it."

I seem to remember he had to send away for the vaccine but it was only a few days so, presumably, there are always stocks on hand somewhere.

bullseyebarb · 20-10-2007, 16:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by West Ender

They may say the 30s but there was an incidence of smallpox in the Asian community in Bradford in 1961. I used to stay with my future in-laws, in Bradford, at the time and because of that my GP vaccinated me. I remember it well because some days later, when the scab came up, I felt quite poorly. I went back to see him (Dr. Stewart on Thwaites Rd., a Scotsman) and he said, puffing away on a fag, "Imagine having those all over your body, lassie, you'd probably snuff it."

I had my first shot in '65 and, like you, was really ill. I've been thinking recently that it wouldn't be a bad idea to get another booster just to be on the safe side.