Smallpox and Community Shielding

It’s a disease that’s nothing short of terrifying. Highly contagious and disfiguring, smallpox once killed about 30 percent of those who fell victim to it. Health officials declared it eradicated worldwide in 1980. But now we worry that smallpox may number among the weapons in the arsenals of biological terrorists. Epidemiologist Dick Wenzel (Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University) describes the disease and how we can prevent it.

Also featured: If terrorists attack the United States with a biological weapon, a University of Virginia panel is recommending that citizens stay home. Richard Bonnie (University of Virginia) and Gregory Saathoff (University of Virginia) explain the concept behind “community shielding.”