Because the only full-blown cases of smallpox came from people who developed it as a consequence of the vaccine. At least for a period after 1980, there was a standing reward of $10,000 for any naturally occurring case of smallpox.
In terms of how the world would respond: strategic reserves of the smallpox vaccine are kept in various places; it is still provided to the US military due to its presence in weapons stockpiles, and defense prioritization and funding would be put to work in the event of a suspected weapons-grade outbreak.
This is the correct answer AFAIK—several lab leaks of smallpox samples after eradication caused most of the remaining samples to be consolidated into a few secure locations.
Also, the US military is not the only military to vaccinate; some countries can also give their soldiers injections without officially saying what’s inside them.
Because the only full-blown cases of smallpox came from people who developed it as a consequence of the vaccine. At least for a period after 1980, there was a standing reward of $10,000 for any naturally occurring case of smallpox.
In terms of how the world would respond: strategic reserves of the smallpox vaccine are kept in various places; it is still provided to the US military due to its presence in weapons stockpiles, and defense prioritization and funding would be put to work in the event of a suspected weapons-grade outbreak.
For sure there wouldn’t be a 9 month delay before inoculations started.
There would either be a 0 month delay or an infinite month delay, depending on whether or not any institutions survived the initial panic. :)
This is the correct answer AFAIK—several lab leaks of smallpox samples after eradication caused most of the remaining samples to be consolidated into a few secure locations.
Also, the US military is not the only military to vaccinate; some countries can also give their soldiers injections without officially saying what’s inside them.
Presumably there’s an implied ‘after X’ where X is long after smallpox has been perceived to be endemic.