I can't really argue with you. Monkeypox is only one example of the 20 or so viruses that smallpox also provides protection against, all almost exclusively found in Africa like camelpox or taterapox. Some are still found in north america, like cowpox, which produces a negligible infection in humans. In an era where planes are so common, I understand how small the global community is. I don't mean to freak people out, but knowing there is a way to protect people from several deadly and/or disfiguring strains of pox viruses, it kind of concerns me that we don't, or that we don't try and develop a vaccine that is not so dangerous to use. I think sometimes we are as a society a little too reactive. I usually keep many of my opinions to myself since otherwise I look like that crazy person on the side of the road with the sign "The End is Near". I don't think the end is near, I just think we should start being a little smarter about things as a society. Mumps, dyptheria, pertussis and polio are making a comeback since people don't remember the detrimental effects of these diseases and think vaccines are a bunch of hooey. Yes, there are risks to being immunized, and I don't urge people who are at risk to get immunized, but I think that people who are healthy should get immunized against these conditions to protect those who cannot be immunized and to protect themselves. Influenza is a classic case, no one remembers how devastating influenza can be. Now there is a vaccine, and yes, the researchers have to guess a year in advance which strain will come through. The good news is the more you are immunized every year, the more you are protected against strains you have not been directly immunized against just due to shared properties of the immunizations. Even if you do contract influenza, typically the duration and the severity of the illness is greatly lessened. People forget that this is an infection that kills. I do however not support the live virus nasal spray out of paranoia, go for dead virus injection.

I admit I get a little wonky only because the worst case (and also very possible) scenario runs through my brain periodically. I'll admit that the chain of events that would have to occur as a result of Katrina to release these pathogens is pretty slim, once the correct sequence of events occur, the rest would blow up pretty disproportionately in that situation.

Also a note on herd immunity: if all the people who can safely get immunized, do get immunized, then those 40 per million should actually be just as good as immunized barring sheer bad luck.