Florida Begins Smallpox Vaccinations for Public Health Workers

Voluntary smallpox vaccinations began today for state and county public health workers in Florida, the latest in a serious of vaccination campaigns across the nation designed to counter potential bioterror attacks.

For security reasons, state officials refused to reveal where or how many workers were getting vaccinations, the Associated Press reports.

Currently, 18 states have started voluntary smallpox vaccination programs, but they're not attracting many people.

As of last Friday, the federal government estimated that about 800 people across the nation had volunteered to receive the vaccine. The goal of the voluntary program is to vaccinate 500,000 health care workers nationwide.

The lack of response may be due to concerns about the safety of the vaccine. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that about 1,000 out of every 1 million people receiving the vaccine will have serious reactions, up to 52 will have life-threatening reactions, and one to two people in one million may die.

People also have questions about what compensation they'll receive if they do suffer complications and whether smallpox is a credible threat.

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-- Robert Preidt