A Disaster of Pandemic ProportionsA Disaster of Pandemic ProportionsIt is 2018. The future that once seemed bright is now filled with devastation. Two years ago, a smallpox epidemic swept across the United States, constituting the worst act of terrorism we have ever seen. Because it was believed that smallpox had disappeared for good, children were no longer vaccinated. If only we knew that the enemy is manufacturing this virus as a deadly weapon for use in the United States. I don't think even the enemy had any idea of ​​the amount of death and destruction such a simple virus could cause. The first wave killed 40% of the east coast. As it spread across our country, the main toll was the lives of children. Many of those who survived were left blind and scarred forever. America's infrastructure is crumbling beneath our feet. If only this was where the war ended; with this brutal act of bioterrorism that cost hundreds of thousands of lives. The enemy saw this as the ideal moment to bombard our territory. Those who survived had to fight to survive as war broke out on our soil for the first time in a century. Of course, this scenario is fiction. This has never happened, but the possibility looms over our country. Due to the lack of public health education in the United States, this country is extremely vulnerable to mass casualties due to a pandemic. Many people in modern society don't realize that something as simple as the smallpox virus could cripple our nation quite quickly. Smallpox is just one of many viruses that could spread across this country like wildfire. Why is smallpox so deadly? It is a virus that is believed to be extinct. This type of assumption is deadly. We are no longer looking... middle of paper ...... old pandemic exercises. (2006, October 1). Same Day Surgery (GALE A204773080), NA.Carrell, JL (2003). Random knowledge about smallpox. Esquire, 139(6), 30. Harrison, C.J. (December 2001). Distinguishing smallpox from other infections: an unpleasant introduction. Pediatric News, 35(12), 13. Kirby, B. (2007, Spring). Prepare for the crisis. Nieman Reports, 61(1), 66.Lynn, K. (July 2010). Pandemic preparedness: lessons learned from H1N1 influenza. Medical Laboratory Observer, 42(7), 50(2).Pandemic 101. (May 8, 2007). Pandemic 101 launches pandemic preparedness programs for families and businesses. Business Wire, N.A. Potter, T. (March 2005). Epidemic preparedness: GIS mapping detects epidemics. GEO World, 18(3), 26(4). Richardson, R. (2002, July-August). The public as a key partner in bioterrorism preparedness: issues and solutions. Journal of Environmental Health, 65(1), 49.