4 ms·

> A smallpox pandemic would be orders of magnitude more deadly than COVID Edit: fair enough there’s no vaccinations for smallpox anymore. But countries do stil

> A smallpox pandemic would be orders of magnitude more deadly than COVID Edit: fair enough there’s no vaccinations for smallpox anymore. But countries do still buy stockpiles

jinpa_zangpo 5y ago
Childhood vaccinations against smallpox in the US stopped in 1971, 50 years ago. https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/49/4/489/47117/THE-END-OF-ROUTINE-SMALLPOX-VACCINATION-IN-THE https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/49/...
joshuaissac 5y ago
> People still get vaccinated against smallpox when they’re young No, they don't. I do not think there is even a single country that routinely vaccinates children against smallpox.
valarauko 5y ago
I don't think universal smallpox vaccination for infants is the case in any country now, at least since the 1980's.
max-ibel 5y ago
No they don't, at least in the US. Older people may still be vaccinated in their youth (I guess when born before 1980s).
- u801e 5y ago
  They stopped vaccinating against smallpox in 1972[1]. It was administered around 12 months of age before then. So anyone in the US born in 1972 or later is most likely unvaccinated. [1] https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/vaccine-basics/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/vaccine-basics/index.html [2] https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center/vaccine-details/smallpox-vaccine https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-cent...
bee_rider 5y ago
Given that widespread vaccination for smallpox stopped in the 70's, I guess responding to a large outbreak would be a big problem. I'd hope we've got lots of smallpox vaccine stockpiled, though.
- mrep 5y ago
  We have enough stockpiled to vaccinate every single person in the US [0]. [0]: https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/bioterrorism-response-planning/public-health/vaccination-strategies.html https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/bioterrorism-response-planning/...

> A smallpox pandemic would be orders of magnitude more deadly than COVID Edit: fair enough there’s no vaccinations for smallpox anymore. But countries do still buy stockpiles

jinpa_zangpo 5y ago

Childhood vaccinations against smallpox in the US stopped in 1971, 50 years ago. https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/49/4/489/47117/THE-END-OF-ROUTINE-SMALLPOX-VACCINATION-IN-THE https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/49/...

joshuaissac 5y ago

> People still get vaccinated against smallpox when they’re young No, they don't. I do not think there is even a single country that routinely vaccinates children against smallpox.

valarauko 5y ago

I don't think universal smallpox vaccination for infants is the case in any country now, at least since the 1980's.

max-ibel 5y ago

No they don't, at least in the US. Older people may still be vaccinated in their youth (I guess when born before 1980s).

u801e 5y ago
They stopped vaccinating against smallpox in 1972[1]. It was administered around 12 months of age before then. So anyone in the US born in 1972 or later is most likely unvaccinated. [1] https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/vaccine-basics/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/vaccine-basics/index.html [2] https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center/vaccine-details/smallpox-vaccine https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-cent...

bee_rider 5y ago

Given that widespread vaccination for smallpox stopped in the 70's, I guess responding to a large outbreak would be a big problem. I'd hope we've got lots of smallpox vaccine stockpiled, though.

mrep 5y ago
We have enough stockpiled to vaccinate every single person in the US [0]. [0]: https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/bioterrorism-response-planning/public-health/vaccination-strategies.html https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/bioterrorism-response-planning/...