Smallpox vaccination program 'ceased'

From Thursday's USA Today. Will add link when story is posted online.

By ANITA MANNING
USA TODAY

Less than a year after President Bush announced a smallpox vaccination plan to protect Americans in the event of a terrorist attack, a fraction of the expected number of health workers have been immunized and the much ballyhooed program is dead in the water.

... ``The fact is, it's ceased, says Ray Strikas of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ``not that anyone's issued an edict to say stop.

... Though the CDC has shipped 291,400 doses, at last count, just 38,549 people have been vaccinated.

... Homeland Security Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse says the plan has accomplished what it set out to do. ``We are pleased that the program has inoculated enough first responders and health care workers that could respond should there be an outbreak.

more to come

So my question to Bush* and friends: Was the smallpox vaccination plan just another of your ways to spread fear among the American public? And, if not, why is the program now declared a success even though less than 20% of the shipped doses have been used?

now it is "dead in the water" like so much of the bush brainstorms.

Nearly as stupid as the LIVE FLU virus vaccine they have this year. AVOID IT!

how do you define failure? Which pharmaceutical company held the contract for the vaccines? How much money did they get paid? How much money flowed back into the Repug campaign coffers? Was immunizing people ever an objective?

this was more than a hoax, although it was also a hoax. they still forced the military to take the vaccine.

they want to kill us all.

are out there waiting to be used. you can actually be exposed to smallpox, THEN get the shot, and be pretected. it's pretty nifty, really. just pointing out that it actually could be a good thing.

yes, bush used it to further fear. whatever. the fact of the matter is, smallpox would suck if it got out of control, for any reason whatsoever, so why not have some extra doses hanging around?

When it comes to trusting him enough to take the injection. Is there some small kernel of awareness left in the public?

:freak:
dbt