The terrorist attacks in the fall 2001 have renewed concerns about possible outbreaks of smallpox resulting from its use as a biological weapon. In response, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reviewed and updated its primary strategy for control and containment of smallpox in the event of an outbreak and the government is increasing the amount of available vaccine.

Convened at the request of the CDC, this report summarizes the discussions of a one-day conference on the scientific, clinical, and procedural aspects of various smallpox vaccination strategies regarding who should be vaccinated and when. The report considers input from health care workers and emergency responders, as well as lessons learned from the terrorist attacks regarding risk communication and considerations in weighing public health benefits and risks.