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Whenever you use a live virus for vaccination you can potentially run into complications. This is the reason the vaccinations were stopped in this country in the first place, because the actualy risk of complications was higher than the risk of getting smallpox. It IS a big deal to these soldiers and their families, but when compared to the 500,000 or so vaccinations done so far, the risk is quite small. It's really too bad that we even have to vaccinate in the first place. Perhaps if we get rid of Saddam, it will mean the next generation won't have to get vaccinated either.

Perhaps if we get rid of Saddam, it will mean the next generation won't have to get vaccinated either.

I doubt it. The Soviets manufactured a stockpile of 20 tons of smallpox virus. I doubt Iraq is the only country that may have obtained samples of this weaponized virus. Also human nature hasn't changed. What is really needed is more research into both new and safer vaccines (by orders of magnitude) and treatments for viral diseases like smallpox. It is quite likely in the future that a bioterrorist would use a pathogen for which there is no exiting vaccine. The ability to treat viral diseases with generic treatments analogously to the way we treat bacterial infections (with antibiotics) would help to alleviate the threat of bioterrorism.