Stockpiling smallpox virus

doi:10.1136/bmj.39177.580729.BE

BMJ 2007;334:760 (14 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.39177.580729.BE

Editorials

Stockpiling smallpox virus

Other viruses pose greater public health threats, so isn't ittime to move on?

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Emotions still run high over the stocks of smallpox virus placedinto the P4 freezers of Atlanta and Novosibirsk more than 30years ago by the World Health Organization. In this week's BMJ,two articles present opposing views on whether the United Statesand Russia should destroy their stocks of smallpox virus (Variola).¹²

One argument for maintaining smallpox stocks is that they areneeded to develop safer vaccines.¹ Our current effective vaccineis safe when used judiciously—not for mass vaccinationof populations, but for targeting those at risk after screeningout people with a history of HIV, leukaemia, or eczema at higherrisk of complications after vaccination.³ Moreover, new vaccinesare based on Vaccinia, not smallpox.⁴ No new vaccine can betested for efficacy until human cases of smallpox reappear.