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April 29, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Study Urges Focus on Terrorism With High Fatalities, Cost" Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com) (04/29/02) P. A3; Miller, Bill

A recent report by the Brookings Institution, titled "Protecting the American Homeland," predicts that up to 1 million people could die if the United States was the subject of a bioterrorist attack using Ebola, anthrax, smallpox, or other agents.  In addition, the study concluded that a biological attack on a major sector of the economy, such as movie theaters or shopping malls, could cost the United States up to $250 billion, while a similar attack on major urban areas could cause up to $750 billion in economic damages.  For that reason, the study argues that the U.S. government should focus its homeland security efforts on tackling those threats that have the greatest potential to cause major economic losses and casualties.  According to D.A. Henderson, director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), anthrax and smallpox could cause the kind of casualties predicted by the Brookings Institution's report, but he said a major Ebola bioterrorist attack was not likely.  In the meantime, HHS is currently working with states to improve America's early-warning disease networks, it is creating a stockpile of anthrax and smallpox vaccines, and it is taking other measures to prevent or deal with bioterrorist threats.

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