All this talk about Anthrax, Small Pox, etc. etc. got me to thinking.  When I was in the Military I was vaccinated for both, the Small Pox in '89 and the Anthrax in '90 anyone know how long these are good for?  It's my understanding that the Small Pox vaccine degrades over time.  My exposure to either even in the event of a successful Bio attack would be minimal given the area I live in, just interested in the facts.[;)]

Small pox vaccinations appear to be fully gone in about 20 years, if you were vaccinated in '89 you should be OK.  Don't know about anthrax, but a vaccination should be better then no vaccination.

20 years?  That would mean most of the civialian population that was vaccinated would be vulnerable to small pox then I think the U.S. stopped vaccinations in '72 except for military personnel.

Anthrax vaccinations do not last forever like some others. It is administered in 6 shots over a 18 months, with yearly boosters required. It is less than 90% effective after 2 years. Also, there is a drug put out by Bayer called Cipro, which is the only approved anthrax vaccine. I would love to get a doctor to get me some of that now, in case there is a need later, when supply might be short. It is several hundred dollars in cost. All of this can be gleened from the web if you dig around.

I don't think Cipro is a vaccine, my understanding is it's an antibiotic for the treatment of Anthrax.  The vaccine for Anthrax is Gamagobulin(sp?), and it feels like they've injected a grapefruit into your butt cheek after you get one.

Not 100% shure but I believe you need a booster for small pox every 10 years.

Yes, I made a type-o, Bayer Cipro is a treatment for Anthrax, not a vaccine.

Statistically speaking, 20 years is about average.  The sigma for these public health stats is very large.  You get effects of immune disorders that skew the numbers wildly.  Also gender plays an important role with women (sorry, this is reality) and childbirth really throwing in a curve.  Women typically have the lions share of autoimmune disorders and most of this is due to childbirth.

What it means for males is you could expect a longer immunity to smallpox.  Remember, this vaccine isn't really smallpox but rather a cousin of the virus that confers immunity to smallpox.  You will probably be symptomatic for a few day post exposure but you will not develop sores nor will you be contagious.

My family physican continued smallpox until it was no longer available (1986).  When I had my smallpox vaccine in 1987, it naturally didn't take.  I believe we will all be getting smallpox vaccinations soon and I will report on if the thing takes.  It will have been 15 years at the minimum.

raf,
 My parents were told the same thing about me.  Some people have a natural immunity to smallpox.  I don't remember how many smallpox vacinnation I've had but I do know that not a single one has ever taken.

Vaccine is not a gammaglobulin
GG is a boost after an acute exposure and is short lived and a protein.
Where do you guys get this shit?
cpermd

hmeyne
Cipro is a prescription antibiotic that treats anthrax.It is not even the first choice but Bayer has put out much PR to the press to make it appear so.
Tetracyclines treat it as Well
IV Pen treats it
Any quinolone treats it
Doxy treats it
Anthrax is a common bug and affects many people in the US each year.It is not tested for so does not get reported.So it never hits the headlines.Still gets treated because most antibiotics kill it dead quickly when treating any community acquired pneumonia.If you are around farms,cows,dairies then someone has had Anthrax.
cpermd

Well, excuse the hell out of me!  I got that shit from the medic when I asked what the hell it was, cause it hurt like a motherf&$%&er.

Oh, sh*t. My vac card says I had a smallpox shot in 1967, and that they're good for 3 to 5 years. (LA County Health Department)