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The U.S. is stockpiling smallpox drugs


Still Waters

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While smallpox has been eradicated in the wild, samples of the deadly virus still exist in the United States and Russia. Some biodefense experts fear that the continued existence of smallpox leaves the world open to a bioterrorist smallpox attack. To contain a possible smallpox outbreak, the U.S. government has authorized a controversial purchase of a drug to treat smallpox, to the tune of $463 million. But does the U.S. really need what it's buying?

http://io9.com/the-u...a-bio-453745447

Edited by Still Waters
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Most US citizens under the age of 50 have never been vaccinated for smallpox. If there was a biological attack then the need for treatment would be immediate (smallpox kills apx. 33% of victims). I think the stockpile of the drug is a 'better safe than sorry' move. I actually think it's a pretty good idea...and who knows what the 'chatter' might be regarding terrorists getting their hands on some smallpox virus?

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I was vaccinated against Smallpox back in 65 when I was born but does that grant me immunity now ?

Maybe the US are planning a big Military Campaign in the future and planning against repercussions,Who Knows?

Edited by shaddow134
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I was vaccinated against Smallpox back in 65 when I was born but does that grant me immunity now ?

Did you received any booster shots growing up? If not, then you're probably not immune.

Maybe the US are planning a big Military Campaign in the future and planning against repercussions,Who Knows?

Or, there's chatter that someone 'not too nice' has gotten their hands on the virus and might use it as a weapon. The US ignored chatter prior to 9/11...I doubt the intelligence community will ignore such things now.

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That's a lot of money for drugs against an essentially extinct threat. One has to wonder what they know that they aren't saying, although I would add that if they aren't sure its probably best to keep silent and just buy the insurance.

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North Korea is thought to hold weapons containing Anthrax and possibly Smallpox which they may have obtained when the old Soviet Union broke up but this is just purely anecdotal and cannot be confirmed as true.

Edited by shaddow134
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OR the US goverment wants to give their friends $463 million and this is the perfect public excuse.... lol

We all know the big pharmicutical companies are friends witht he goverment. Otherwise Bayer would never have got away with selling HIV contaminated vaccines.... :whistle:

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OR the US goverment wants to give their friends $463 million and this is the perfect public excuse.... lol

We all know the big pharmicutical companies are friends witht he goverment. Otherwise Bayer would never have got away with selling HIV contaminated vaccines.... :whistle:

Factor VIII is a blood clotting agent used to treat haemophiliacs, not a vaccine. Bayer was also not allowed to get away with it and what would the US government have to do with it because it was not the version that was sold here.

Edited by FurthurBB
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Factor VIII is a blood clotting agent used to treat haemophiliacs, not a vaccine. Bayer was also not allowed to get away with it and what would the US government have to do with it because it was not the version that was sold here.

Yes they where, they sold it in the US and then got caught. When they where cuaght they pulled it from the US market and carried on selling it to Africa and other countries knopwing it was infected.

[media=]

[/media]

http://en.wikipedia....d_products#Iraq

Edited by Coffey
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Yes they where, they sold it in the US and then got caught. When they where cuaght they pulled it from the US market and carried on selling it to Africa and other countries knopwing it was infected.

[media=]

[/media]

http://en.wikipedia....d_products#Iraq

You are confusing two different issues. One is HIV contaminated blood products that were sold unknowningly in the 1970s and early 1980s and another is Bayer knowningly selling old Factor VIII that was much more likely to be contaminated than a new heat treated formula that would not be contaminated in the early-mid 1980s. The old formula was sold in Japan, China, India, and some African countries whereas the new formula was sold in the UK, most of Europe, Canada, and the US. Neither one were they allowed to get away with.

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You are confusing two different issues. One is HIV contaminated blood products that were sold unknowningly in the 1970s and early 1980s and another is Bayer knowningly selling old Factor VIII that was much more likely to be contaminated than a new heat treated formula that would not be contaminated in the early-mid 1980s. The old formula was sold in Japan, China, India, and some African countries whereas the new formula was sold in the UK, most of Europe, Canada, and the US. Neither one were they allowed to get away with.

If they wheren't allowed to get away with it, then why where thye never prosecuted... that is getitng away with it. lol

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They started stockpiling smallpox drugs right after 9/11. The fear from that event probably led them to stockpile many defensive drugs.

Not really a surprise to read this story.

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Remember the stockpiling of the "bird flu "VACCINE"? which turned out to be NOT a vaccine.. but a flu treatment called Tami-flu .. which is still on the market.

This sounds like just another trip to the cash cow.

.. from Still Waters link:

"The drug hasn't been tested on humans suffering from smallpox infections (for lack of subjects), but it has successfully treated smallpox and monkeypox in monkeys and smallpox-related viruses in humans. The FDA has approved the drug for emergency use only."

and

" But prominent experts say the danger is overblown. Because it can take up to two weeks before an infected person becomes seriously ill, and up to five more days before he or she begins to infect others, there is time to respond, they said.

Also, they said, by the time smallpox victims reach the infectious stage, when their pox are erupting, they are too sick to wander around. That is why outbreaks in schools or factories were nearly unheard of."

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North Korea is thought to hold weapons containing Anthrax and possibly Smallpox which they may have obtained when the old Soviet Union broke up but this is just purely anecdotal and cannot be confirmed as true.

I'll have to make sure any blankets I buy do not come from NK.

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This story bother's me a little bit. I really don't trust our government and by them stockpiling smallpox drugs makes me wonder what they are really up to.

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Remember the stockpiling of the "bird flu "VACCINE"? which turned out to be NOT a vaccine.. but a flu treatment called Tami-flu .. which is still on the market.

This sounds like just another trip to the cash cow.

.. from Still Waters link:

"The drug hasn't been tested on humans suffering from smallpox infections (for lack of subjects), but it has successfully treated smallpox and monkeypox in monkeys and smallpox-related viruses in humans. The FDA has approved the drug for emergency use only."

and

" But prominent experts say the danger is overblown. Because it can take up to two weeks before an infected person becomes seriously ill, and up to five more days before he or she begins to infect others, there is time to respond, they said.

Also, they said, by the time smallpox victims reach the infectious stage, when their pox are erupting, they are too sick to wander around. That is why outbreaks in schools or factories were nearly unheard of."

The FDA. lol

They won't allow cancer cures but they allow the horrible stuff that is put into processed food which is really bad for you. (and can cause cancer)

FDA loves helping their pharmicutical buddies. We all know this form their cancer cure blocking.

Tested on Monkeys, that's great cause we are identical... (sarcasm)

Nice spots lightly. :tu:

This story bother's me a little bit. I really don't trust our government and by them stockpiling smallpox drugs makes me wonder what they are really up to.

I seriously can't name 1 goverment I trust.

Someone on my Facebook shared this today:

600267_575434459142887_1299211064_n.jpg

Thought it was fitting.. lol

Edited by Coffey
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I actually think it's a pretty good idea...and who knows what the 'chatter' might be regarding terrorists getting their hands on some smallpox virus?

how? raiding the CDC? It's the same as worrying about space aliens attacking. Wait I'm on UM :)

This is a waste of money. Or rather a government subsidy to drug companies.

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The drug Arestvyr is made by SIGA technologies (inexpensively) .. and sells to the Government for about $225 a dose. The current administration is complicit with the ongoing scams... but

http://reason.com/blog/2011/11/16/the-annals-of-crony-capitalism-is-siga-t

"It should be noted that the contract with Siga is part of the $5.6 billion Project Bioshield adopted by the Bush administration. Project Bioshield was set up to guarantee a federal market for new chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear medical countermeasures for the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS). The question is was it used specifically to guarantee the profits of an Obama crony? Stay tuned.

One further note: The SNS already has 300 million doses of conventional smallpox vaccine costing $3 each and has ordered 20 million doses of a vaccine that could be given safely to immuno-compromised people. The conventional vaccine can prevent disease if administered within four days of exposure to the virus. "

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how? raiding the CDC? It's the same as worrying about space aliens attacking. Wait I'm on UM :)

This is a waste of money. Or rather a government subsidy to drug companies.

And very good for the price of the Company stocks and it's shareholders.

Edited by shaddow134
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Well at least they are getting something; so many government scams produce delivery only on paper.

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This is a waste of money. Or rather a government subsidy to drug companies.

I'm agreeing with Ninja here. This is probably a Big Gov deal giving money to Big Pharma.

Would a smallpox breakout really spread fast enough to require stockpiling of vaccine? Maybe, I guess...

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I'm agreeing with Ninja here. This is probably a Big Gov deal giving money to Big Pharma.

Would a smallpox breakout really spread fast enough to require stockpiling of vaccine? Maybe, I guess...

If it was some type of coordinated biological attack (infected hosts inserted into large cities, airports, shopping malls etc.) things could snow ball pretty darn fast. How would/could the CDC contain something that was peppered through out the country? Basically, people would be getting sick all over the place (not just one or two locations). In such a scenario you'd need treatment for the full blown disease as well as vaccine for those not yet infected.

Edited by Lilly
I can't spell
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I'm agreeing with Ninja here. This is probably a Big Gov deal giving money to Big Pharma.

Would a smallpox breakout really spread fast enough to require stockpiling of vaccine? Maybe, I guess...

Well, the government's job is to be prepared for such possibilities. I was under the impression that country's stockpiled these types of vaccines already anyway, replenishing their stocks as they expire. If that's bit the case, and assuming that there's no secret information that they know that we don't, I think this is more likely to be a salesman capitalizing on the global situation rather than the gov being in cahoots with big pharma. A salesman probably took advantage of the NK threats and used it in a sales pitch that succeeded.

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I'm agreeing with Ninja here. This is probably a Big Gov deal giving money to Big Pharma.

Would a smallpox breakout really spread fast enough to require stockpiling of vaccine? Maybe, I guess...

the answer is no ... and the drug being discussed is an UNTESTED on HUMANS treatment , not a vaccine. and, As i posted above, "One further note: The SNS already has 300 million doses of conventional smallpox vaccine costing $3 each and has ordered 20 million doses of a vaccine that could be given safely to immuno-compromised people. The conventional vaccine can prevent disease if administered within four days of exposure to the virus. "

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When ninjadude takes the words right out of my mouth something is definetly fishy.

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