"As commander in chief, I do not believe I can ask others to accept this risk unless I am willing do to the same," Mr. Bush said. "Therefore, I will receive the vaccine along with our military."

He says, however, that his family and his staff won't be getting the vaccine -- because health experts say it's not necessary for the general public to do so. "Our government has no information that a smallpox attack is imminent, yet it is prudent to prepare for the possibility that terrorists who kill indiscriminately would use disease as a weapon," Bush said.

The first to get the vaccine will be U.S. military personnel serving in high-risk areas.

Mr. Bush is also asking that emergency medical workers and others who would respond first to a smallpox attack get vaccinated, but strongly suggested the general public not take the inoculations, which come with health complications.

"Given the current level of threat and the inherent health risks of the vaccine, we have decided not to initiate a broader program," he said.

The program calls for mandatory smallpox shots for 500,000 military personnel, starting next month. Vaccinations will also be recommended for about half a million civilian emergency workers.

By 2004, when there will be enough licensed vaccine for every American, the administration plans to have a process by which any American without disqualifying conditions can get it.

Educating the public about the vaccine - its risks vs. benefits - will be a major focus.

Based on studies from the 1960s, experts estimate that 15 out of every 1 million people vaccinated for the first time will face life-threatening complications, and one or two will die. Reactions are less common for those being revaccinated.

Using these data, vaccinating the nation could lead to nearly 3,000 life-threatening complications and at least 170 deaths.

In addition, millions of Americans won't be able to get the vaccination, including the elderly and those suffering from suppressed immune systems.

Smallpox, once among the most feared diseases on Earth, killed hundreds of millions of people in past centuries, but it hasn't been seen in this country since 1949 and was declared eradicated worldwide in 1980. But experts fear that it could be used by hostile nations or terrorist groups in an attack.

Routine smallpox vaccinations ended in the United States in 1972, meaning nearly half the population is without any protection from the virus.

The immune status of those who were vaccinated more than 29 years ago is not clear. Because the antibodies have been shown to decline substantially during a five- to ten-year period, even those who received the recommended single-dose vaccination as children do not have lifelong immunity. The U.S. has 15.4 million doses of vaccines, boxed and prepared to deliver if there is a breakout.

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