|
|
Article: An update on smallpox.
- Article from:
- FDA Consumer
- Article date:
- March 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 U.S. Government Printing Office. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
The last confirmed case of smallpox in the United States occurred in 1949, and the last naturally occurring case in the world was recorded in Somalia in 1977. Three years later, the World Health Organization declared that smallpox had been eradicated. But if terrorists were to intentionally introduce just a single case of smallpox today, it could mushroom into a public health emergency, experts say.
In December 2002, President Bush announced a comprehensive plan to protect Americans from smallpox if it were to be used in a bioterrorist attack. The plan addresses actions to quickly contain an outbreak through vaccination. As part of this plan, the U.S. Department ...