3 ms·

> (like we have for literally every single fatal illness) Smallpox. And if you consider within the borders of a given country, a dozen others (polio, measles,

> (like we have for literally every single fatal illness) Smallpox. And if you consider within the borders of a given country, a dozen others (polio, measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox).

0xffff2 6y ago
Which countries have eliminated the latter 4? I would consider an illness "eradicated" if the vaccine is no longer regularly given. At least 10 years ago (when I was in the field), MMR and Chickenpox vaccines were still regularly administered in the US.
- SECProto 6y ago
  > I would consider an illness "eradicated" if the vaccine is no longer regularly given Fair enough. I would consider a virus eradicated when the general population gives zero thought to it, and effectively no one dies from it. Doesn't meet the strict medical definition, but I thought the description of "If we get to a point where there's a stable number of daily deaths then we're good" was overly pessimistic.
- ksk 6y ago
  >I would consider an illness "eradicated" if the vaccine is no longer regularly given. That's not how it works. Just because you don't see an outbreak for a while, that is never a reason to stop immunizing children. Pathogens can and do have natural reservoirs. This is why when some idiots stopped taking the Measles vaccines we had an outbreak here in the US. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_reservoir https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_reservoir
  - 0xffff2 6y ago
    Of course that's how it works. We don't regularly administer small pox vaccines anymore because it has been eradicated except for a couple of very tightly controlled samples. That's what "eradication" means. My memory is slightly hazy, but I think we might have skipped Polio as well for anyone not going oversees, because Polio largely meets the definition of "eradicated" in the US. Meanwhile, we continue to administer MMR and Chickenpox vaccines because those diseases still exist in the wild. The very fact that Measles has returned is ipso facto proof that it was never eradicated, and the fact that (normal) people never stopped giving that vaccine to their kids is proof that no one ever believed it was.
breakfastduck 6y ago
None of those are a common type of Flu, which we've never been able to cure, though.
- SECProto 6y ago
  Covid-19 isn't a "common type of flu" either. The diseases I mentioned were certainly widespread and endemic. And they're all different types of virus.
- rsynnott 6y ago
  How can people possibly still think COVID is a type of flu? This was perhaps forgivable in February, but...
artursapek 6y ago
COVID-19 is a slice of apple pie compared to Smallpox

> (like we have for literally every single fatal illness) Smallpox. And if you consider within the borders of a given country, a dozen others (polio, measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox).

0xffff2 6y ago

Which countries have eliminated the latter 4? I would consider an illness "eradicated" if the vaccine is no longer regularly given. At least 10 years ago (when I was in the field), MMR and Chickenpox vaccines were still regularly administered in the US.

SECProto 6y ago
> I would consider an illness "eradicated" if the vaccine is no longer regularly given Fair enough. I would consider a virus eradicated when the general population gives zero thought to it, and effectively no one dies from it. Doesn't meet the strict medical definition, but I thought the description of "If we get to a point where there's a stable number of daily deaths then we're good" was overly pessimistic.
ksk 6y ago
>I would consider an illness "eradicated" if the vaccine is no longer regularly given. That's not how it works. Just because you don't see an outbreak for a while, that is never a reason to stop immunizing children. Pathogens can and do have natural reservoirs. This is why when some idiots stopped taking the Measles vaccines we had an outbreak here in the US. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_reservoir https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_reservoir
- 0xffff2 6y ago
  Of course that's how it works. We don't regularly administer small pox vaccines anymore because it has been eradicated except for a couple of very tightly controlled samples. That's what "eradication" means. My memory is slightly hazy, but I think we might have skipped Polio as well for anyone not going oversees, because Polio largely meets the definition of "eradicated" in the US. Meanwhile, we continue to administer MMR and Chickenpox vaccines because those diseases still exist in the wild. The very fact that Measles has returned is ipso facto proof that it was never eradicated, and the fact that (normal) people never stopped giving that vaccine to their kids is proof that no one ever believed it was.

breakfastduck 6y ago

None of those are a common type of Flu, which we've never been able to cure, though.

SECProto 6y ago
Covid-19 isn't a "common type of flu" either. The diseases I mentioned were certainly widespread and endemic. And they're all different types of virus.
rsynnott 6y ago
How can people possibly still think COVID is a type of flu? This was perhaps forgivable in February, but...

artursapek 6y ago

COVID-19 is a slice of apple pie compared to Smallpox