[FITZ]

My own thought but there are quite a few people who are more at risk from an immune standpoint today than in the 60's. More people with AIDS/HIV, allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc. These people with immune problems are likely to be more at risk, either from direct immunization or close association with someone that was immunized.

There would be some risk to these people with the vaccine being out there but they would be much better off if the population was vaccinated before smallpox breaks out. The immune-compromised would need time to build up immunity and also would benefit by having many people able to donate pheresed plasma with antibodies against smallpox.

They should offer careful vaccinations first to those with weakened immune systems so they'd be somewhat protected when everyone else is vaccinated (voluntary vaccinations).

[bonesmccoy]

Fitz,
I don't think we will be able to offer vaccines to immunocompromised people at first. It will probably be several years (after FDA or NIH approves research protocols on the Acambis producct and the new Acambis vaccine is tested on a limited number of patients) before we could try immunizing HIV+ or children less than two years old with quantified data.

On the other hand, developing immunity in the populace (or at least boosting immunity for those previously immunized) would be useful. Not only would it assist in neutralizing the biological threat now, it would also diminish the strategic advantage of foreign nations developing such weaponry.