[GhostUser]

There's a definite cause for concern regarding chemical and biological warfare. We've all heard the horror stories of smallpox on TV. Suppose that the vaccine is made available to the general public. Would you or your family be one of the ones in line for vaccination?<br><br><br><br>
Consider this:<br><br><br><br>
As the smallpox vaccine has some nasty side-effects, vaccinating the entire population would not be painless. Approximately 1 out of every 150,000 people would contract severe, debilitating infections and another 1 in 500,000 people would die from the vaccine. So, if all 280 million Americans were vaccinated, more than 500 would almost certainly die. Suddenly, mass vaccination looks less appealing. Taken from: Weighing the risks of a vaccine for smallpox by Howard Fienberg<br><br><br><br>
read the whole article here<br><br><a href="http://www.stats.org/statswork/smallpox.htm" target="_blank">http://www.stats.org/statswork/smallpox.htm</a><br><br><br><br>
This is definitely raises the question is the risk worth the cure?<br><br><br><br>
(As a side note, their site has very interesting statistical info)

 

[1vegan]

I've read before that vaccination can have strange side-effects.<br><br>
It seems that it can interfere with the normal development of the immune system of kids.<br><br><br><br>
Now Im Vegan, I dont take vaccinations anymore.<br><br>
Some vaccinations are made with animals and probably animal tested to.

 

[Kiz]

No, I really don't think it's worth the risk at all, not for me anyway. Given the fact that smallpox has been effectively eradicated, the only chance of contracting it would be through biological warfare. At the moment I think that only two countries in the world that have copies of the smallpox virus and one of them is the US. (Not sure on that, but I think that's what i heard.) I have a vague idea that the other one may be France, (but again I'm really not sure). Chances are that if someone does launch a biological weapon against us (us being any country inhabited by anyone on this forum), that it won't be smallpox. There's a whole lot of other nasties out there to worry about.<br><br><br><br>
Um, I wonder what other sorts of biological weapons are out there? Does anyone know which are the most common?

 

[1vegan]

bo....bou......<br><br><br><br>
Boutilism?<br><br><br><br>
The disease that kills ducks and can be "added" to tap water.<br><br><br><br>
There was a "religous" group in Japan that did a attack with nerve gas (serin.. or so)<br><br>
And this week I heard something about ri.... risin in England.

 

[LadyFaile]

scary. yeah i haven't had any vaccines since the hepatitis shot i had in highschool, we weren't really given a choice on that one. i know if i'd refused they couldn't force me, but it wasn't made clear that i had an option, so i went along with it.<br><br><br><br>
if i had kids, i might feel different about it, but i don't think vaccines are really all that helpful. the odds of actually getting the disease are probably about the same as the odds of getting sick from the vaccine itself. pfft. but if i had kids and found out about a case of smallpox in my area, i'd probably run out and get them vaccinated. if i knew there were no cases of it nearby, i imagine i wouldn't be too worried about it.<br><br><br><br>
i kind of see vaccines the way i see antibiotics. if it's really necessary i'll do it, but i won't take it just to put my mind at ease if it might do more harm than good in the long run.

 

[Music Girl]

I just finished reading the book "Demon in the Freezer" about this very subject. It is the scariest book I have ever read, and it is non-fiction.<br><br><br><br>
I hate the thought of smallpox vaccines for my family (I had one when I was 2 and suffered no ill effects) and I am certain that the vaccines aren't vegan at all, but in spite of that, our family will be in line to get vaccines at the first outbreak of smallpox in this country.<br><br><br><br>
The disease is absolutely horrifying - much scarier than the risk of vaccine side-effects. I can think of few worse ways to die, honestly.<br><br><br><br>
Chem and Bio Warfare scares me to death.<br><br>
What an ignorant idea with potentially uncontrollable global consequences.....and how cruel to bring so much devestation on the lives of innocent civilians.<br><br><br><br>
I wish the world was a safer place.....sometimes I feel guilty looking at my beautiful, sweet children. I totally understand those who choose not to reproduce and inflict the world, as it is, onto their children and make the overcrowding situation worse.<br><br><br><br>
On the other hand (maybe selfishly) I can't imagine living a day without their love and kindness giving me a glimpse of real hope for the future of humanity....