What can be done to protect people from smallpox?
Doctors, health workers and hospital personnel around the world have been trained to identify infectious diseases, verify their diagnosis and then respond accordingly. The same system would identify any possible outbreak of smallpox even if the virus is deliberately spread to cause harm. The public health system would then be mobilized to trace all known contacts of the infected person and vaccinate them to prevent more cases of smallpox from developing. If this is done rapidly and effectively, the number of cases could be kept to a minimum and the outbreak would be contained. This was the approach which successfully eradicated the disease. The key is a good disease detection system and a rapid response to infectious diseases, no matter what their cause. At this time, several governments have started to examine the potency and levels of their smallpox vaccine stocks, and to consider whether, and under what circumstances, to obtain additional supplies.
