Two healthcare workers have recently been hospitalized after being vaccinated against smallpox.

One, an employee of a public health office in Jerusalem, was hospitalized after pox broke out on her body, but was released two days later in good condition.

The second, an employee of a public health office in Safed, was hospitalized with headache and fever, and hospital officials initially feared that he had contracted meningitis. However, it later turned out that he had the flu.

The cabinet decided about six weeks ago to encourage all members of the security services, the rescue services and healthcare workers - some 15,000 people in total - to be immunized against smallpox, as they are most likely to come in contact with the disease in the event of a biological weapons attack in Israel. The vaccinations are strictly voluntary, due to the possible side effects: According to the medical literature, one out of every six million people vaccinated will die, one out of every 200,000 to 300,000 will contract meningitis and one out of every 250,000 will suffer milder symptoms, such as an outbreak of pox. To date, however, some 6,000 people have opted to receive the vaccine, and so far, no more serious complications have been reported than the two cases in Jerusalem and Safed.

But many workers, including the bulk of the staff of the health maintenance organizations and the hospitals, have declined the vaccine due to fear of the side effects. Others are not eligible for the vaccine: Pregnant women and people with certain medical conditions, such as autoimmune diseases, are not being immunized, nor are those who were not already vaccinated once as children (mandatory smallpox vaccinations ended in 1979).

The most unusual response, however, has come from employees of the Environment Ministry - who said they were willing to be immunized, but only if they received extra pay for it. A senior healthcare official described this as "unprecedented behavior."

A source in the Environment Ministry confirmed the report, but the ministry's spokesman insisted that "some ministry employees have already been vaccinated, while the rest will be vaccinated in the coming days."

The senior healthcare official said that most firemen have also refused the vaccinations. But a spokesman for the Fire Department denied this, saying that the department will only begin administering the vaccine next week.

A Magen David Adom spokesman said most ambulance crews have agreed to be immunized.