5/4/03- Three months into the campaign, only some 35,000 healthcare workers have received the Smallpox innoculations the government hopes would protect them from a terrorist attack using Smallpox.

Tommy Thompson, HHS Secty.: "35,000 is what we have right now. We would like to get
to 50,000."

But health officials, who met in Washington this week to check up on the program, supported the slower pace of vaccinations.

Dr. Brian Strom, Smallpox committee Chairman: "To give a vaccine against a disease that doesn't exist, particularly a toxic vaccine, is something you want to do very carefully and very slowly."

Senator Susan Collins says the slow start suggests the government rushed into action with too many unknowns. The innoculations are also proving to be more expensive than predicted.

Senator Susan Collins: "Originally, the Federal Government estimated it would cost about $7 per vaccination. The actual cost has varied between $79 and over $200. That's a significant financial burden."

There have been 68 cases of adverse effects from the Smallpox vaccinations, including 3 who died from heart attacks, which may be linked to the innoculation. But Dr. Strom is not discouraged.

Dr. Brian Strom: "What the Smallpox vaccine campaign has done is it has led to a general increase in public health preparedness, and that's helped us enormously in multiple other events, including SARS."

In fact, the SARS epidemic has given the government a glimpse of  what could happen with an outbreak of Smallpox. A frightened public, stepped-up border security, isolation of victims. Health & Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson says that's all the more reason to step up the pace of Smallpox innoculations.

Tommy Thompson: "Take a look at SARS. The healthcare workers became very sick because of SARS, they were not protected. The same thing would happen with Smallpox."