EDITOR: The president's smallpox vaccination plan is worse than a sick joke. The plan started with 15 million doses of old, unstable vaccine developed in the 1950s – a half century ago! Then, those doses were diluted 5-fold (the first time) to bring the total to 75 million doses. It was soon discovered (I'm not sure how) that the diluted stuff was just as good.
Amazingly more doses were found stashed away in cold storage that had been forgotten and would otherwise have been discarded. What a plan! It is said that the instability and imperfections in the vaccine the government has stockpiled will kill one or two of every million vaccinated, and for every 15 million vaccinated, scores more will suffer life-threatening consequences and diseases as a direct result of the vaccination. No one has even discussed whether the vaccine would be effective against weapons-grade strains of the virus.
Meanwhile, the Bush administration has signed appropriations for this year to the Pentagon and Defense in the obscene amount of $393 billion. Now, let's see… If we did a little number crunching, suppose that we could develop a new, stable, high quality, undiluted vaccine for $15 or even $20 a dose. Thus 300 million doses would cost the government $6 billion. This, by the way would be a one-time cost. When compared to the $393 billon spent on bombs and bullets this year alone, with even more promised to be spent next year, it's a wonder that our benevolent leader hasn't figured out the value of his own people's lives. Instead of a legacy such as "He gassed his own people," 'W' will have the unique remembrance of "He vaccinated his own people – with dirty medicine."
Thanks, but no thanks. I prefer a clean, full-strength dose versus the crap the Bush administration is handing out.
Dan Wells
Tracy