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Ali Maow Maalin

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Chef

The Resume

    (1954-July 22, 2013)
    Born in Merca, Somalia
    Hospital cook
    Became the last person infected with smallpox by natural transmission (October, 1977)

Why he might be annoying:

    He avoided the mandatory smallpox vaccination for hospital workers by holding his arm as if he had already received the shot.
    He said, 'I was scared of being vaccinated then. It looked like the shot hurt.'
    Because of the assumption he had been vaccinated, he was initially treated for malaria, then, after developing a rash, was diagnosed with chicken pox and sent home.
    As his symptoms developed further to indicate smallpox as the cause, he refused to report to medical authorities because he did not want to be placed in isolation.
    By the time a colleague reported him, he had interacted with 161 people, 41 of whom had not been vaccinated.

Why he might not be annoying:

    None of the people he interacted with got infected with smallpox.
    He volunteered as a local coordinator for the World Health Organization's campaign to eliminate polio from Somalia.
    His motivation: 'Somalia was the last country with smallpox. I wanted to help ensure that we would not be the last place with polio too.'
    He encouraged people to get vaccinated by describing his experience with smallpox: 'Now when I meet parents who refuse to give their children the polio vaccine, I tell them my story. I tell them how important these vaccines are. I tell them not to do something foolish like me.'
    He was described as one of WHO's 'most valuable' coordinators.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 10 Votes: 90.0% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 9 Votes: 44.44% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 10 Votes: 70.0% Annoying