Compulsory Vaccination of U.S. Armed Forces Remains Controversial
In 1777, George Washington led the first mandatory military vaccination program when he directed soldiers of the Continental Army to be inoculated against smallpox. Soldiers had the option of voluntarily exposing themselves to the smallpox pustules either by scratching their arms or inhaling it through their noses.1 The story of George Washington being the first […]
WHO to Rename Monkeypox Virus to Prevent Stigma Associated with the Virus
On June 14, 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that it would rename the monkeypox virus after a group of scientists expressed the opinion that the name “monkeypox” is stigmatizing.1 Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the WHO, said that the United Nations organization is working with partners and the scientific community around […]
CDC Distributing Monkeypox Vaccines Nationwide While Raising Monkeypox Travel Alert to Level 2
On June 6, 2022, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) raised its monkeypox travel alert to Level 2, warning Americans to “Practice Enhanced Precautions.”1 The agency stated that monkeypox cases have been rising in at least 29 countries, with 1,019 infections reported to date. Currently, the United States has confirmed 31 cases […]
Smallpox Vaccine Manufacturers See Big Stock Price Increases After Monkeypox Outbreaks Reported
On May 26, 2022, U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) officials held a press briefing and announced there had been nine cases of monkeypox identified in seven U.S. states and that two licensed smallpox vaccines were in the national stockpile and ready to be distributed.1 The CDC’s director said, “The U.S. has the resources we […]
Flu Vaccination Associated With Increased Viral Shedding
Opinion | When your body is infected with a disease-causing virus such as influenza, the virus is “shed” into the environment, via your saliva and other bodily fluids and skin lesions. If someone comes in contact with that shed virus, it’s possible that they, too, will become infected with the virus. There’s still a lot of […]
Smallpox Infection Via Tattoo
Story Highlights A soldier was vaccinated for smallpox and developed a local and systemic vaccine virus smallpox infection after tattooing over his injection site. Despite global eradication of wild-type smallpox, fears over its potential use as a biological weapon have prompted vaccination of military personnel and first responders. Similar processes for administration of the smallpox […]
