A look behind the scenes: bioterrorism, smallpox, and public health policy

The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and continued conflict in Middle Eastern countries has provoked a strong interest in issues of national security. On December 13, 2002 the Bush Administration announced its smallpox vaccination policy, the first nationwide "proactive" measure to address the threat of bioterrorism. The Program has received mixed reactions as a result of partisan issues, tensions in public health policy and federal and state jurisdiction, conflicting scientific views, and different risk assessments. The slow pace of the program, the difficulties surrounding its implementation, and the debates regarding its validity serves as a "case study" to demonstrate current short-comings in federal and state anti-terrorist and public health policies. The focus will be on the states' public health laws and emergency preparedness plans through an analysis of the proposed Model State Emergency Preparedness Act. Updating current public health laws combined with increased funding of scientific research and the foresight to act "proactively" will reach far beyond improving national security. These efforts serve the dual purpose of deterring future terrorist attacks while greatly improving responses to a number of other health emergencies and disasters.