‘I wish we’d wiped the damned thing out completely when we had the chance back in ‘95,’ said the English voice.
‘Well we lost the vote on that one,’ said the chairman. ‘You’ll have to wait until the next scheduled date for destruction. If there’s no further delay, the only remaining stocks of smallpox virus will be destroyed completely in June, 1999.’
‘So what have all these scientists who objected to the 1995 destruction proposal been doing in the meantime if as you say live virus is only held at two places on earth?’
‘I assure you, very strict controls have been applied to any research involving smallpox. The virus had its DNA sequence determined so we actually know details of the entire blueprint for its existence. Once that was known it was possible to cut the DNA into defined linear fragments. Research labs are allowed to have access to individual fragments of the virus DNA, never the complete organism and never more than twenty percent of the fragmented DNA at any one time.’
What good is a bit of a virus?’
Lang smiled wryly and answered, ‘When we set out to sequence the virus we expected it to be fairly routine. As with all viruses we thought its genes would be concerned with the structure and propagation of itself. Only half of them were. The other half turned out to be human genes.’
There were several instances of raised eyebrows round the table, despite the scientific credentials of many present.
‘They were genes concerned with the human immune system. In short, the smallpox virus knows more about the human immune system than medical science does. That’s really what prompted the delay in destroying it completely. It can teach us a lot.’
‘I’m uncomfortable about having all these bits and pieces of virus floating
around.’
Lang shrugged and said, ‘It’s not as if just anyone could just join up the fragments to recreate a live virus. It would take a first rate molecular biologist, someone who had studied the entire genome and even then he or she would need a lot of luck. Having said that, if there was any evidence that someone was even contemplating trying such a thing we would step in immediately and put an end to it. Criminal charges would almost certainly be brought.’
‘And rightly so,’ said the chairman. ‘In the meantime, doing nothing is not an option for us.’
He paused and the others waited in silence for him to continue.
‘We are clearly not happy about the vaccinated man but I don’t think we could recommend a return to wholesale vaccination. There are risks associated with all vaccination programmes and we would have to justify them to the people who might suffer side effects.’
‘Perhaps a limited reintroduction might be in order?’ suggested one man. ‘Just to be on the safe side.’
‘That would be a possibility but it’s a decision I think we would have to leave up to individual governments.’
‘Israel was uppermost in everyone’s mind.
‘But before we do that or recommend anything else, I suggest that we ask the Iraqis outright why their man had been vaccinated against smallpox and judge them on their reaction.’
The suggestion gained universal approval.
‘Then that’s settled. I will arrange for a joint WHO/UN delegation to draft the question. We will reconvene when I have an answer. In the meantime perhaps Dr Lang and his colleagues could check again with the institutes holding live virus
and also on the state of monitoring of these fragments.’
Lang nodded. ‘Of course, sir.’
EIGHT DAYS LATER
Same Location.
‘We have received a reply from Baghdad, ladies and gentlemen,’ announced the chairman. ‘They say that during a routine vaccination programme for some of their troops an old batch of smallpox vaccine was used in mistake for hepatitis vaccine. Apparently one batch of freeze-dried vaccine looked pretty much like any other to the junior medical staff who were involved in giving the shots. They apologise for the border incident and any alarm caused.’
‘They apologised?’
‘Makes me suspicious.’
The chairman, took off his glasses and waited until the comments subsided before saying, ‘It is just conceivable they are telling the truth. Unlike many vaccines, freeze-dried smallpox vaccine can be stored for a long time. Such a mix-up could have happened.’
‘The question is, did it?’
‘I think we must be very cautious,’ said the German woman.
‘Dr Lang, have you anything to tell us?’ asked the chairman.
‘We approached both the CDC and the Russian institute. Both report no attempted breach of security and stocks of the virus are all accounted for.’
‘Good, how about fragment movement?’
Lang moved a little uneasily in his seat. ‘That was a bit more difficult,’ he confessed. ‘Many labs across the world have requested viral fragments for their research programmes. AIDS research is very intense. There is a lot of competition.
‘ ‘There’s a lot of money at stake!’ came the cynical comment from one of the group members.
‘Is the monitoring system to ensure that no one lab gets more than twenty percent of the complete virus working or not?’ insisted the chairman.
‘Y. es,’ replied Lang but he sounded uncertain.
‘Let me put it another way,’ said the chairman, ‘Is it at all conceivable that an attempt has been made to recreate live smallpox virus from these fragments?’
‘I would really think … not.’
‘But you’re not absolutely certain?’
‘One can never be absolutely certain. If someone is determined enough to do something then, who knows?’
The chairman was reluctant to let Lang off the hook. He said, ‘Supposing a scientist were to request a few fragments of virus at one institution and then move to another, would it be possible for him — or her to order some more fragments without you realising what was going on?’
‘Our records are institute records,’ conceded Lang. ‘Fragments are not referenced against individuals.’
‘So a university department or research institute might be credited with having three fragments when, in practice, an individual scientist working there might have brought three more with him from his last job and have access to six?’
‘I suppose so.’
A great deal of unease had been created by Lang’s answers. The chairman had to hold up his hand for quiet.
‘Ladies … Gentlemen … please. I suggest we keep a sense of proportion about what we’ve learned. I was deliberately trying to paint a worst possible case scenario. Let us pause and consider the facts as they really are.’
The room returned to calm and order.
I think we can be reasonably sure that stocks of live virus remain untouched and there has been no criminal attempt to obtain them.
People nodded their agreement.
The situation pertaining to the fragments however, may or may not be a cause for concern. We need more in the way of reassurance.’
‘I vote we recommend a complete ban on the circulation of these fragments for the moment,’ said the German woman, Lehman. It was a view that attracted considerable support from the others but one that made the
