The author argues that policymakers should take another look at the disastarous swine flu vaccinations of the 1970s for help in the current debate over smallpox vaccinations.
Immunizing young Americans against smallpox before a bioterrorist attack might save many more lives than a strategy focused exclusively on isolating and vaccinating those at risk after an attack. But a mass-vaccination approach would cost more up front and would have to be done cautiously because of illnesses and deaths the vaccine itself could cause.