Why Are People Worried About Smallpox?
Although smallpox infection was wiped out many years ago, samples of the variola virus that causes smallpox were saved in laboratories. Some people have expressed concern that terrorists may try to get access to these stored virus samples with the aim of spreading smallpox infection. Despite talk about the possibility of terrorists spreading smallpox as a biological weapon, the reality is that this probably wouldn’t happen for a couple of reasons. First, terrorists would need access to the virus samples, and the few research laboratories that keep them have security measures to guard them. Also, it would be extremely difficult for a group to take the time to produce a large amount of the variola virus without being detected. The smallpox vaccine also would prevent the spread of disease because it can: • prevent people from becoming infected if they’re vaccinated quickly after exposure to the virus • make the illness less severe in people who do become infected if they’re vaccinated wit
