The smallpox pandemic response was eerily similar to Covid

This bullshit is an example of anti-vaxxer mind to the core and shows the tactics used by them - fear mongering against vaccines and misuse of data.

Here is an perfect example, I quote: "In the 1844 smallpox epidemic, about one-third of the vaccinated contracted a mild form of smallpox, but roughly 8 percent of those vaccinated still died".

Does this show the efficacy of the vaccine or the lack of it?

You guess. Smallpox is known to kill 30% of the infected. This makes the vaccination of that time roughly 73% efficient against death. Well, not great but much much better than what is claimed here - i.e. nothing or worse. It is probably better because it does not account for avoided infections.

Does improvement of living conditions lower smallpox rate? Sure, if you have less people together, it definitely will. Better ventilation will too. Does it eliminate smallpox without any other intervention? Highly unlikely because it is highly infectious disease.

Did vaccination against it play major role in eradicating it? Definitely. How do we know this? Because we eradicated it regardless of living conditions of the billions of the people in poorer nations.

You still do not believe that this is a very cruel and stupid anti-vaxxer manipulation? Well, it talks about acquiring natural herd immunity against smallpox. Wait what? Is it possible? Sure, definitely! All you have to have is acceptance of 30% death rate and major life long deformations of others and willingness to not intervene.

Is this problem that this piece of garbage was written? No. The problem is that people are not educated about basics of epidemiology and do not understand how full of shit it is. This is what allows these lying bastards to survive.

I think this is a response to this piece https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-plus-ca-chang... "Plus ça change: How some COVID-19 issues are eerily similar to Quebec’s 1885 battle with smallpox" 11. February 2022.