Bibliography

Flight, C. (2013) Smallpox: Eradicating the scrouge. London: BBC. [Online]. Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/smallpox_01.shtml (01/04/13).

Hammond. E, Ching. L. L, (2010) Smallpox Virus Stocks at the 64^th WHA: Implementing the Conclusions of Major Review. Geneva: Third World Network.

Hicks. R, (2013) Smallpox. London: BBC. [Online]. Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/smallpox1.shtml [01/04/13].

Hnederson. D. A, (1999) Eradication: Lessons from the past. Atlanta: Centers for disease control and prevention. [Online]. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/su48a6.htm [29/03/13].

Ninh. A, (2011) Should we destroy the last of the world's smallpox virus? [s.l.]: time inc. [Online]. Available from: http://healthland.time.com/2011/05/18/should-we-destroy-the-last-of-the-worlds-smallpox-virus/print/ [01/04/13].

Parry. W, (2011) Proposed destruction of smallpox virus creates controversy. New York: tech media network. [Online]. Available from: http://www.livescience.com/13667-smallpox-virus-destruction-variola-vaccination.html [01/04/13].

Sebelius. K, (2011) Why we still need smallpox. New York: The New York Times. [Online]. Available from: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/opinion/26iht-edsebelius26.html [29/03/13].

Spillius. A, (2011) ‘We must keep smallpox stocks’ US and Russia tells World Health Organisation. London: Telegraph Media Group Limited. [Online]. Available from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8267370/We-must-keep-smallpox-stocks-US-and-Russia-tells-World-Health-Organisation.html [01/04/13].

Tucker, J. (2012) The smallpox destruction debate: Could a grand bargain settle the issue? Washington:Arms Control Association. [Online]. Available from: http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2009_03/tucker (01/04/13).

WHO (2013) Smallpox. Geneva: WHO. [Online]. Available from: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/smallpox/en/ [04/04/13].

Conclusion.

To conclude my research, I came to the decision that the stocks of smallpox should be kept. My question is, why destroy it? Granted, an accident occurred which caused a fatality, but the likelihood of a similar accident is miniscule. The security and safety implications in place surrounding the stocks are of great standard.

The remaining stocks are without a doubt important for on-going scientific experiments to produce a vaccine which can protect against a possible outbreak, whether it is deliberately caused or not. The stocks are used as a bargaining tool between countries. If one country decides to release stocks of the virus to cause an outbreak, the WHO (2013) will have the ability to use its own stocks to produce that vaccine.

I feel destroying the last stocks will leave the world in a VERY vulnerable position, a position we cannot afford to be in.

Afterall, history has a history of repeating itself.

Should the last known stocks of smallpox be destroyed? Definitley not!

As previously stated the WHO (2013) called on all countries to destroy their last known stocks of the smallpox virus, or pass them on to an authorised laboratory. This came after an incident in 1978 which caused two infections and one death.  Janet Parker died as a result of being exposed to the virus by accident in a laboratory at University of Birmingham Medical School. When discussing the accident C. Flight reports “This accident was a sharp reminder that humans remained vulnerable to the disease, especially as routine vaccination had ended in many countries in the 1970s” (2011). This unfortunate accident is the sole reason many people are demanding a date is set immediately for the destruction of the stocks. It is believed this fatal accident could happen again, and the disease may mutate and spread rapidly. However, this is not the case, and seems a fairly lame excuse. An accident like this is unlikely to happen again, and the unfortunate outcome of a life being taken shows how vulnerable humans are against the virus.

In 1990, the WHO (2013) decided that all stocks of the virus were to be destroyed by December 31^st 1993. However, many American scientists strongly disagreed and in protest delayed this decision, hence the on-going debate today. In 1992 Ken Ailbeck, released some shocking news, he told the CIA that during the Cold War the Soviet Union had produced a highly lethal strain of the smallpox virus in liquid form and was planning on using it as a weapon. (C. Flight, 2011). As the immunisation programme stopped in 1972, nobody has been immunised after this point, so a potential deliberate release of a lethal strain of the smallpox virus would be deathly damaging to the world.  

Following this, the CIA subsequently obtained circumstantial evidence that undeclared stocks of the virus might exist in several countries of proliferation concern, possibly including but not necessarily limited to Iran, Iraq, and North Korea. (C. Flight, 2011). My question is, why would these countries hold undeclared stocks of the virus unless they felt they were of some advantage to them?

Official stocks of the virus currently held in USA and Russia are indefinitely important for on-going scientific experiments to produce a vaccine against a possible deliberately caused endemic. It is indeed a possibility that there may be stocks held which are not known to the WHO (2013) which are kept with the intention of using them as a bioweapon. If this is the case, a controlled stockpile of the virus which can be used to create an effective vaccine is essential in protecting against the unimaginable.

 References

1. Tucker, J. (2012) The smallpox destruction debate: Could a grand bargain settle the issue? Washington:Arms Control Association. [Online]. Available from: http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2009_03/tucker (01/04/13).

2. Flight, C. (2013) Smallpox: Eradicating the scrouge. London: BBC. [Online]. Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/smallpox_01.shtml (01/04/13).

Research - Possibility of undeclared stocks being used as a bioweapon.

Throughout my research, I was still very much fence sitting, I found articles which portrayed both sides of the argument. It wasn’t until I came across a specific quote which stuck in my mind and it was then set in stone for me that the last known stocks of the virus should, without a doubt, be kept.

“ We fully agree that these samples should – and eventually will- be destroyed…however, we also recognize that the timing of this destruction will determine whether we continue to live with the risk of the disease re-emerging through deliberate misuse of the virus by other” (K. Sebelius, 2011)

‘Deliberate misuse of others’ - what could that meen? Well, after the eradication of the disease, the WHO (2013) called on all countries in 1980 to destroy their stocks of the small pox virus or pass them onto the registered holders of the virus in either Russia or USA. However, it was only ever assumed that all countries did in fact do this and verification that all countries did do this did not take place.

Baring in mind that smallpox was “reportedly employed as a biological weapon during the French and Indian War in the 18^th century” (G. Rashke, 2011) the possibility that the idea of undeclared stocks being used as a bioweapon is already out there and been contemplated once before. Now if this is the case, the stocks which are currently preserved correctly and officially would be best kept to maintain safety and peice of mind. Imagine the vulnerability against a country who has their own stocks, deliberatly kept to misuse if the last official stocks are destroyed?

References
1. Parry. W, (2011) Proposed destruction of smallpox virus creates controversy. New York: tech media network. [Online]. Available from:

http://www.livescience.com/13667-smallpox-virus-destruction-variola-vaccination.html [04/04/13].

2. Ninh. A, (2011) Should we destroy the last of the world's smallpox virus? [s.l.]: time inc. [Online]. Available from: http://healthland.time.com/2011/05/18/should-we-destroy-the-last-of-the-worlds-smallpox-virus/print/ [04/04/13].

3. Sebelius. K, (2011) Why we still need smallpox. New York: The New York Times. [Online]. Available from: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/opinion/26iht-edsebelius26.html [29/03/13].

The Debate.

In May 2011, The WHO (2013) held a meeting to discuss whether the destruction of the last known samples of the smallpox virus should take place or whether the stocks should be preserved. This caused a huge worldwide debate, with many countries believing the stocks should be kept for defence reasons in the unfortunate event of another worldwide outbreak. Other couneries believe preserving the samples would cause detrimental effects socially, economically and politically.

References

1. WHO (2013) Smallpox. Geneva: WHO. [Online]. Available from:

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/smallpox/en/ [04/04/13].

What is Smallpox?

What is Smallpox?

Small pox is a highly infectious disease caused by Variola which is spread by inhaling particles of the virus from the oral, nasal or pharyngeal mucosa of an infected person. Small pox caused an estimated 300-500 million deaths during the 20th century but was eventually declared eradicated in 1979 following successful worldwide immunisation programmes.  When discussing Smallpox, The World Health Organization (2013) says,  "It was one of the world's most feared diseases until it was eradicated by a collaborative global vaccination programme led by the World Health Organization" .The last known natural case was is Samalia in 1977.

Symptoms
Symptoms os Smallpox include:

• Fever
• Muscle Aches
• Headache
• Vomiting
• Tiredness
• Rash, which is small fluid filled blisters all over the body.

Below is a demonstration of the typical smallpox rash.

                                                        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smallpox

References

1. WHO (2013) Smallpox. Geneva: WHO. [Online]. Available from:

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/smallpox/en/ [04/04/13].

2. Hicks. R, (2013) Smallpox. London: BBC. [Online]. Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/smallpox1.shtml [04/04/13].

 

For or Against? - The destruction of the last known stocks of the small pox virus.

For my latest assignment I am simply asked to prepare a group discussion which will focus on the following statement.

"One of the longest and most contentious international policy debates has swirled around the question of whether to destroy the last known stocks of the smallpox (variola) virus which are preserved at two World Health Organization (WHO) - authorised repositories in Russia and the United States. Although smallpox was eradicated from nature more than three decades ago, concerns surfaced in the early 1990's that a few countries might have retained undeclared samples of the virus for biological warfare purposes. Because a smallpox outbreak would be a global public health emergency of major proportions, in 1999 the WHO approved a research program at the two authorized repositories to develop imporved medical defences against the disease."

From recent research I have undertaken I must decide whether I am for or against the destruction of the stocks. Following posts will show my decision, and how I came to it.