Smallpox was eradicated in the United States in the 1940s and was eradicated glo

Question

Smallpox was eradicated in the United States in the 1940s and was eradicated globally in 1979. But, while the scourge of smallpox may have faded from our collective memory, the threat remains that it might be reintroduced as part of a bioterror attack. After the 2001 anthrax attacks, fear that smallpox might be used as a biological weapons became more pronounced. The Bush administration undertook to prepare first responders for such an event and planned to vaccinate as many as 500,000 healthcare workers against the virus on a voluntary basis. But, fewer than 40,000 health workers were vaccinated by the discontinuation of the program in April 2004. The refusal of many health care workers to volunteer for the vaccination may be rooted in the high perceived risk of the smallpox vaccine, the low perceived risk of a smallpox attack, and the inadequacy of compensation for those injured by the vaccine. Please answer the following question(s) in your discussion: How can the government encourage health care workers to undertake the immediate risk posed by vaccination to mitigate the distant risk posed by bioterror threats? Should a mandatory vaccination program be initiated among first responders in pursuit of bette

Explanation / Answer

Mandatory vaccination will be against individual liberty. People will rebel not much against the vaccine but against the infringement of the individual liberty.

However the smallpox vaccine is the best protection people can get if they are exposed to the smallpox virus. Anyone directly exposed to smallpox, regardless of health status, would be offered the smallpox vaccine because the risks associated with smallpox disease are far greater than those posed by the vaccine.

So people can be vaccinated by offering them some rewards and offerings.

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