Vaccine Smallpox Bioterror

About Vaccine Smallpox Bioterror

After the 2001 anthrax attacks, the US government implemented a smallpox vaccination program for healthcare workers and first responders. President George W Bush received the vaccine on December 21, 2002. The program aimed to vaccinate 500,000 healthcare workers. Only about 40,000 civilians were vaccinated amid concerns about side effects including myocarditis, other cardiac events, and progressive vaccinia. The military vaccinated hundreds of thousands of service members. Cases of myocarditis and other cardiac events were reported. The CDC issued guidelines for screening out individuals with cardiac risk factors. The smallpox vaccine Dryvax had a higher rate of serious adverse events than other vaccines in use. A newer vaccine, ACAM2000, replaced Dryvax in 2008. The US maintains a Strategic National Stockpile of smallpox vaccine sufficient for every American. Whether the smallpox vaccination program was necessary remains debated.