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March 27, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Health Officials Warned on Bioterror"

Associated Press (www.ap.org) (03/26/02); McClam, Erin

State and local health departments will receive financial support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) over the next few years in order to increase health workers' knowledge of diseases like anthrax and smallpox.  Since smallpox was eliminated in 1977, many health workers do not know how to recognize the symptoms of the disease.  Stanley Foster of Emory University believes the United States could react quickly to a smallpox attack; however, he said that other countries are quite vulnerable due to weak public health systems and no vaccine supplies.

ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.  THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.