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WASHINGTON Feb. 12 —

Public anxiety about a possible smallpox attack has not diminished in the past year since the mail attacks with another deadly substance, anthrax, put the nation on edge, an Associated Press poll indicates.

The number of people who say they're worried about a smallpox attack, 54 percent, was close to the 53 percent who felt that way in November 2001, according to the poll conducted for the AP by ICR/International Communications Research of Media, Pa.

Women were more likely to be worried than men.

Michaele Tharett says she would probably get smallpox vaccinations for herself and her child if the vaccine became available. More than half of American adults said they would get vaccinated if it were available, and six in 10 parents said they would want their children vaccinated, the poll found.

The vaccine will be available to adults who request it, probably beginning this summer, although federal officials are not recommending the vaccine because of the risks involved.

Children won't be able to get it unless a bioterror attack were to occur, federal officials say. Ethical and safety concerns bar children from clinical trials being conducted now, meaning the vaccine cannot be licensed for them, officials said in December. It's unclear at what point, if ever, it might be available for children.

The number of adults who said they would get the smallpox vaccination was 54 percent, down slightly from 61 percent in November 2001, the poll found.

"When it gets to the point that they're serious, I will research it and probably get it for myself and for my son," said Tharett, a 45-year-old government worker from Arlington, Texas. "I'd get it for my son before I get it for myself. I want him to go on."

Smallpox was eradicated in the 1970s and, while experts fear that terrorists or hostile nations could unleash it in an act of bioterror, President Bush has said there is no immediate threat.

Ben Murray of Franklin, Ind., says he's researching the smallpox vaccine to determine the threats, and he probably will want it for his young children, a 4-year-old son and a 1 1/2-year-old daughter.

"You think about your kids more than you do yourself," said Murray, who works in advertising. "It's something I would worry more about with them."

In the poll, parents were asked simply if they would get their children vaccinated, without any reference to current government policies.

State officials have begun vaccinating workers in emergency rooms and people on smallpox response teams. The effort is off to a slow start, with many hospitals and workers refusing to participate. One reason is that people injured by the vaccine may not be compensated for medical bills or time lost from work.

Diane Robbins, 44, an emergency room nurse from Chester, S.C., said she's been searching the Internet for information on the vaccine and expects she eventually will get it.

"I don't really know for sure if I have a choice," she said.

Some people who get the vaccine may have sore arms and fever or feel sick enough to miss work. As many as 40 people out of every million vaccinated for the first time will face life-threatening reactions, and one or two will die.

Those polled were divided over how well prepared they feel the country is to deal with the threat of a biological terrorist attack. Just over half said they think the country is at least somewhat prepared. Only one in 20 think the country is well prepared.

More than four in 10, 43 percent, said they don't think the country is prepared to handle a biological terrorist attack.

"I think it's something they're just starting to get prepared for," said Brent Nelson, a 26-year-old corrections worker from Salinas, Calif.

The poll of 1,002 adults was taken Jan. 31-Feb. 4 and has an error margin of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

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