[Genuine Realist]

Well, with apologies to Alanis Morisette, it's like 18 million doses of smallpox vaccine when all you need is a ventilator.

https://apple.news/AYjTeqLG1S5uq3WWqiCK07w

BC

Sounds like he expected The Great War to return.  Too bad he didn't read up on what happened at the very end of The Great War.

Not quite that dumb. In the mid-80's, the Soviet Union began working on a smallpox bacillus as an element of biological warfare - a plan that all by itself would brand it correctly as an 'evil empire'. You docs would know better, but I have read that smallpox had been so thoroughly eradicated that there is a question whether herd immunity still exists. 

So put this in the hindsight category.

Actually, he is kind of dumb. He didn't understand the relative risk of pandemics vs bioterrorism. He didn't take an overall view of public health in the way that is required of someone in that job. For a supposed doctor to make that statement about mother nature and antibiotics is unbelievable. He's either lying to Congress or incredibly uneducated. Either way, he's not qualified for the job.

Or he's not being quoted entirely accurately.

[Genuine Realist]

Well, with apologies to Alanis Morisette, it's like 18 million doses of smallpox vaccine when all you need is a ventilator.

https://apple.news/AYjTeqLG1S5uq3WWqiCK07w

BC

Sounds like he expected The Great War to return.  Too bad he didn't read up on what happened at the very end of The Great War.

Not quite that dumb. In the mid-80's, the Soviet Union began working on a smallpox bacillus as an element of biological warfare - a plan that all by itself would brand it correctly as an 'evil empire'. You docs would know better, but I have read that smallpox had been so thoroughly eradicated that there is a question whether herd immunity still exists. 

So put this in the hindsight category.

Actually, he is kind of dumb. He didn't understand the relative risk of pandemics vs bioterrorism. He didn't take an overall view of public health in the way that is required of someone in that job. For a supposed doctor to make that statement about mother nature and antibiotics is unbelievable. He's either lying to Congress or incredibly uneducated. Either way, he's not qualified for the job.

Or he's not being quoted entirely accurately.