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