"Smallpox" was shot in 2002. Before the SARS epidemic of 2003 and before the Covid epidemic of 2020. Unfortunately, we missed the warning and made the same mistakes as in the movie. And many others too. Some of the events in the film sound like a prediction. The lack of goods (albeit for a short time), the restrictions on movement, the overload of the health system. The analogies with recent real events are many.
However in the film the disbelief in the virus and the anti-vaccination movement are absent. It is missing the people spreading lies about vaccines, and the proud anti-vaxxers who would rather die (and often do) than get vaccinated. In 2002, we didn't know that, in addition to being vulnerable, humanity is also stupid.
We should also mention some inaccuracies. Smallpox is not that contagious - one infected person transmits the infection to an average of 4, not 10 or 20 others. The percentage of deaths is around 10%, not 30. Those born and vaccinated before 1970 were the majority in 2002, and then as well as now are protected to a very high degree.
This film has been seen by few people, it is not popular and is very hard to find. Unfortunately, we are as prepared for the next pandemic as we were in 2002 and as we were for Covid in 2020. It is only a matter of time before it happens.
However in the film the disbelief in the virus and the anti-vaccination movement are absent. It is missing the people spreading lies about vaccines, and the proud anti-vaxxers who would rather die (and often do) than get vaccinated. In 2002, we didn't know that, in addition to being vulnerable, humanity is also stupid.
We should also mention some inaccuracies. Smallpox is not that contagious - one infected person transmits the infection to an average of 4, not 10 or 20 others. The percentage of deaths is around 10%, not 30. Those born and vaccinated before 1970 were the majority in 2002, and then as well as now are protected to a very high degree.
This film has been seen by few people, it is not popular and is very hard to find. Unfortunately, we are as prepared for the next pandemic as we were in 2002 and as we were for Covid in 2020. It is only a matter of time before it happens.