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. :)
Presumably there’s an implied ‘after X’ where X is long after smallpox has been perceived to be endemic.
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.