Hi to all
This is in response to Pat Drazins note on10-19 regarding "Why give this vacine
to children? why not let them get small pox and be done with it"
Routine immunization against smallpox is no longer recommended for children in
the US. This comes from the AAP, Public Health Service and WHO. The last case of
natural small pox reported in the WORLD was in 1977 in the East African country
of Somalia.
There has not been a documented case of smallpox in the US since  1949.The risks
of complications from the vaccine is  greater now than getting the disease.
And to futher answer her question "is not this also protective again latter
devolping chicken pox"?. I don't think the small pox vaccine protects against
chiken pox because I had the small pox vaccine as an infant and i later had
chicken pox as a young child. I read somewhere where 300 deaths have been
reported as direct complications from the vaccine since the last reported small
pox  case in 1949. So no giving Smallpox vaccine can be deadly.
Jim Akre , I am sure  can add to this with his expertise in WHO. Also he may  be
able to give some current  references..
JAN Aken RN IBCLC
102045.1214@ Compuserve.COM