Was smallpox was erradicated 40 years ago or are there still case discovered?

@winterose (39887)
Canada
April 2, 2008 9:55pm CST
vast majority of Scottish people interviewed in the streets of Edinburgh are unaware of one of the greatest achievements of medical science -- the eradication of smallpox from the world over 40 years ago. A recent poll has revealed that 87% of 200 individuals questioned did not know that the horrendous, killer disease is now extinct. .. you know I thought I read that it was coming back sometime ago, do you believe it is gone for good or like the scots surveyed is still exists? have your read or heard anywhere where there still might be some cases.
5 responses
@chertsy (3798)
• United States
4 Apr 08
According to my husband smallpox isn't extinct, we just have a vaccine for it. Back in 2003, he had to get the smallpox vaccine when he thought he was going to Iraq with the guard. Reasons why he didn't go is a whole other story. Well, they had to get that vaccine and a lot of others in case that was one of the biological warfare the Iraqi Regime was using on their enemies.
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@winterose (39887)
• Canada
4 Apr 08
that is very interesting, seems the experts have no idea if it is eradicated or not.
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@chertsy (3798)
• United States
6 Apr 08
I don't think it is or the military wouldn't waste money on shots for troops that would be going to Iraq. My husband got a lot of shots that I think messed him up, because now he has back acne and that's something he never had. I know right after 9/11, there was a lot of talk on the news about the small pox vaccine, if we had enough to give out to everyone.
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
3 Apr 08
I really don't believe that anything is really gone for good. Alot of things evolve again somehow, it seems but it may be in some other kind of form. I haven't heard anything about it. It still may exist. They find things all of the time that they thought did not no longer exist. We hear cases like this on the History and National Geographic Channels.
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@winterose (39887)
• Canada
4 Apr 08
yes you have a very good point there.
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
3 Apr 08
I believe in modern countries there is no small pox. In places where everyone is poor and not vaccinated, there is still small pox.
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@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
3 Apr 08
seems like I read it was coming back butthen never heard a word since so guess not and I dont know why they didnt know that wwhen the kids didnt get the shots anymore!
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@ElicBxn (63194)
• United States
3 Apr 08
It has been erradicated, tho there are still frozen samples in Russia and Atlanta. But there are no new cases in the world. Now to get mumps and measles....
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