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Smallpox was nearly eradicated thanks to Edward Jenner's discovery of vaccination using cowpox in 1796. The disease devastated humanity for centuries until vaccination became widespread in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1980, the WHO declared smallpox eradicated after a global vaccination campaign. However, concerns have emerged with recent cases in Seattle and the existence of stored virus samples and potential synthetic variants that could be used as bioweapons. While vaccines exist in strategic stockpiles, many populations no longer have immunity from lack of recent vaccination.

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54 views

Project 4

Smallpox was nearly eradicated thanks to Edward Jenner's discovery of vaccination using cowpox in 1796. The disease devastated humanity for centuries until vaccination became widespread in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1980, the WHO declared smallpox eradicated after a global vaccination campaign. However, concerns have emerged with recent cases in Seattle and the existence of stored virus samples and potential synthetic variants that could be used as bioweapons. While vaccines exist in strategic stockpiles, many populations no longer have immunity from lack of recent vaccination.

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api-508318047
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© © All Rights Reserved
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THE DAILY NEWS

Kyle Ritenour YOUR DAILY FAVORITE NEWSPAPER March 8th, 2020

Smallpox – A World Wide Threat


A disease that devastated It wasn’t until the 19th
mankind for centuries, century that scientists
Smallpox was almost entirely came to realize that
eradicated thanks to the the smallpox
work of a scientist named vaccination was not
Edward Jenner in 1796. effective lifelong, and
people must be
According to the NIH, Jenner revaccinated to
had heard for years that maintain immunity.
people who acquired cowpox Europe and North
never came to be infected by America kept up with
smallpox. He concluded after vaccination and
testing the theory on an 8 worldwide eradication
year old boy that cowpox not of smallpox was on its
only protects against way. Work was done
Edward Jenner – Discovered a smallpox, but that it can be to ensure that the
vaccination for Smallpox by using easily transmitted from disease would be gone
another disease to build immunity from person to person as well. This
it. The other disease was called forever all throughout
Cowpox. was the solution 18th century the 20th century, and it
England was searching for to was gone…
end this epidemic.

As reported by the American Society for The viruses were contained and monitored by
Microbiology, smallpox started with the Variola World Health Organization at the CDC in
virus. Variola first appeared 3,000 to 4,000 years Atlanta, Georgia and the State Research
ago. The virus transferred from animals to humans. Center of Virology and Biotechnology in
Smallpox spread quickly and developed in areas with Koltsovo, Russia (CDC, 2016). There was much
larger populations. Families were being taken out by debate about retaining stocks of variola for
this disease It migrated as people migrated through fear of an outbreak at the World Health
trade and even wars. It was a true worldwide threat. Assembly in 1999. Arguments for keeping the
The official eradication of smallpox was announced stocks, “Would permit research for public
in 1980 at the WHO General Assembly a successful health purposes, including the development of
worldwide campaign to vaccinate. The smallpox was antiviral agents as well as an improved safer
finally contained according to CDC, after deliberation vaccine” (WHO, 1999). After deciding to
between scientists and public health officials around authorize retention no later than 2002, the
the world there were only two locations where the World Health Assembly set to destroy all
last samples of variola virus were allowed to officially remaining stocks of the virus.
be stored.
Recent reporting of 4 confirmed cases of
smallpox in Seattle, Washington have the
American people concerned about a potential
smallpox outbreak. The CDC and other leading
health agencies are proposing mass inoculations
to protect from the virus starting with health
care workers. Many Americans are questioning
the decision made back in 1999 to delay
destruction of the remaining virus cultures.
There is a wide concern that the virus has made
its way into the public.

As if natural cultures of Variola spread around


the world wasn’t a concern enough, there has
been research done to create synthetic viruses.
This pushed the WHO to revise their biosafety
Variola Virus – Microscopic image (Smallpox)
and biosecurity regulations to contain this
technology from widespread use and misuse.
As stated by WHO, “A survey was conducted in
Synthetic biology has only ever been meant to
order to assess the availability of stocks of vaccine
improve medicine and research, but many
and number of doses, the availability of vaccine-
people fear that synthetic viruses similar in
chemical structure to smallpox can be used as a manufacturing facilities, and the existence of plans
biological weapon. to produce or to procure the vaccine from a source
other than a national manufacturer” (WHO, 2002).
The Strategic National Stock Pile is the nation’s The results of that survey were not as promising as
repository of medicines and medical supplies hoped. Of the only 48% of WHO member states that
that the U.S. Department of Health believes responded to the survey, 14% of them reported
might be necessary to respond to a public having stocks of smallpox vaccine. Another 21% of
health emergency anywhere in the United WHO regional offices reported planning to produce
States. It was put into place after the terror or already producing the vaccine. That being said,
events that took place on 9/11. They hold the thought of the eradication of smallpox caused
vaccines for a number of different viruses routine vaccination against the disease to stop
including smallpox. because it was no longer thought to be needed.

With the assurance that there are enough Vaccines for smallpox are not publicly available, but
smallpox vaccines if an outbreak were to take according to the CDC, the government has
place, that still was not enough to calm the stockpiled enough vaccines to protect everyone who
nerves of many Americans who worried about would need it if a smallpox outbreak were to occur
the conclusions made at the World Health here in the United States. Long term absence of
Assembly in 2002. regular smallpox vaccination has left our population
today vulnerable to a disease that was once thought
According to the committee assembly that year,
eradicated. Potential outbreaks are continuously
they acknowledged that although important
being monitored by the government, but fears that
progress had been made involving variola virus
it concluded that much essential research on our immune systems are not prepared for this kind
the the virus will not be completed by the end of outbreak are 100% valid.
of 2002.
References

CDC (2016). History of Smallpox. https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/history/history.html

CDC (2017). Who Should get a Smallpox Vaccination? https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/vaccine-basics/who-


gets-vaccination.html

Riedel S. (2005). Edward Jenner and the history of smallpox and vaccination. Proceedings (Baylor
University. Medical Center), 18(1), 21–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/08998280.2005.11928028

Thèves C, Crubézy E, Biagini P. 2016. History of smallpox and its spread in human populations.
microbiolspec 4(4): doi:10.1128/microbiolspec.PoH-0004-2014

U.S. Department of Health. 2019. Strategic National Stockpile. Public Health Emergency.
https://www.phe.gov/about/sns/Pages/default.aspx

World Health Organization. 5 April 2002. Smallpox eradication: destruction of variola virus stocks. Report
by the Secretariat.

World Health Organization. 24 May 1999. Smallpox eradication: destruction of variola virus stocks

World Health Organization. Synthetic Biology Technologies. Emergencies preparedness, response.


https://www.who.int/csr/disease/smallpox/synthetic-biology-technology/en/

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