[pragmatic]

Not to be alarmist, but the smallpox vaccine issue seems to have a very significant priority for the US/UK, exceeding that for Anthrax antibiotics, botulism, or any other bioagents...Since smallpox is supposed to be the least accessible, the level of attention it gets is quite bothersome.

I'll agree that there does seem to a bit much dramatic press about it. However, I'm pretty certain it's a larger concern than Anthrax/Botulism and the others just because it's highly contagious, while the others aren't spread person to person. So a couple envelopes of smallpox could do far more damage (rhetorically - I don't think smallpox could survive outside the body like Anthrax spores, so I= don't think it would be launched by mail).

[My Identity]

I'm pretty certain it's a larger concern than Anthrax/Botulism and the others just because it's highly contagious,

And nuclear bombs have a bigger impact than C4, but you don't see/hear the guvmint handing out potassium iodide pills and talking about fallout shelters. Why? Because the threat assessment is still pretty low.

Likewise, because smallpox is supposed to be so very rare, the threat assessment should be quite low.

But the guvmint seems to me to be taking smallpox very seriously. And, therefore, it seems reasonable to conclude that the guvmint's assessment of the threat is very very high. Since our stocks are presumably secure, the other source is Russia...