Gates Germ-Game Warning Motivates Smallpox Vaccine Discussions

Policy Exchange recently hosted Mr. Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, Chair of the Health Select Committee, who discussed the potential of future pandemics.  

In a wide-ranging discussion on November 4, 2021, Gates called for a new international Pandemic Task Force, with a budget of about $1 billion per year. 

According to Microsoft's founder, governments must invest billions in research and development to prepare for future pandemics and smallpox terror strikes.

This new effort would "germ game" potential pandemics and bioterrorist attacks such as smallpox attacks on airports. The Science Times reported germ games are ‘when government agencies practice scenarios of another pandemic catastrophe.’

“You say, OK, what if a bioterrorist brought smallpox to 10 airports? You know, how would the world respond to that? 

“There are naturally-caused epidemics and bioterrorism-caused epidemics that could even be way worse than what we experienced today.”

“And citizens expect their governments not to let that happen again,” Gates commented.

Gates has previously issued similar warnings.

In an April 2015 TED presentation, "The next outbreak? We're not ready," Gates warned of the hazards of a highly contagious virus and a major pandemic, stressing the importance of being prepared.

Based on recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine advisory committee meetings, the U.S. is focused on the threat of smallpox.

On November 3, 2021, following an introduction by Pablo Sanchez, M.D. Chair of the Orthopoxvirus workgroup, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices reviewed the two presentations focused on the smallpox vaccine JYNNEOS.  

Produced by Bavarian Nordic, JYNNEOS was initially approved in 2019 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is indicated for preventing smallpox and monkeypox disease in adults 18 years of age and older determined to be at high risk for smallpox or monkeypox infection. 

JYNNEOS is the only FDA-approved non-replicating smallpox vaccine and the only FDA-approved monkeypox vaccine for non-military use.

Brett Petersen, M.D., MPH, presented the new proposed ‘clinical guidance for the use of JYNNEOS as it compares to an older smallpox vaccine, ACAM2000, which the ACIP currently recommends.

Many persons with contraindications to vaccination with ACAM2000 (e.g., atopic dermatitis, immunocompromising conditions, breastfeeding, or pregnancy) may receive vaccination with JYNNEOS.

A person can be considered fully immunized two weeks following administration of the second dose of JYNNEOS when clinical studies have demonstrated maximal antibody titers.

As a replication-deficient vaccine, JYNNEOS does not produce a vaccine site lesion that can be used as a marker of successful vaccination.

And routine titer testing is not recommended following vaccination with JYNNEOS to confirm successful administration of the vaccine, given that high seroconversion rates were demonstrated in clinical trials.

However, titer testing could be considered on a case-by-case basis after consultation with public health authorities for select persons with immunocompromising conditions or those working with more virulent orthopoxviruses (variola and monkeypox) to confirm an immune response has been achieved.

Currently, the smallpox vaccine is not recommended for the general public in the USA since smallpox has been eradicated. Routine smallpox vaccination among Americans stopped in 1972. 

However, U.S. health officials are prepared to use a vaccine if there were a smallpox outbreak, says the CDC.

Note: Bill Gates publishes various posts at GatesNote.com. 

PrecisionVaccinations publishes fact-checked research-based vaccine news.