PRESIDENT GEORGE W. Bush recently decided that the smallpox vaccine should be made available in case of a major bioterror attack.

The vaccine has been administered to military and health officials, so in the case of an emergency they will be protected. The vaccine will be available to the general public in the future. However, is there justification for this bold decision? Is this decision really going to protect the American people or has Bush just opened Pandora’s box?

This was not an easy decision for Bush. He weighed the potentials of each situation, and decided to go ahead with the vaccinations. He said that his decision was not based on any specific threat, but rather “To protect our citizens in the aftermath of Sept. 11.” So as a result of Sept. 11 we have now unleashed a vaccine on ourselves that could potentially kill people.

The last natural case of smallpox occurred in Somalia in 1977. This horrible disease, which kills and leaves survivors disfigured, was a thing of the past. The vaccine does not actually contain smallpox, but a virus called vaccinia. Fifteen per million experience serious complications, and one or two in every million may die. Also most Americans under 30 have never been vaccinated.

When the vaccine was tested at Baylor University, healthy young students arms swelled and fevers raged. One third of participants missed a day of work or school.

Then there is the fact that even if your body does not react to the immunization, you are contagious.

There is a definite possiblility that you could infect those people that you come in contact with.

So by trying to protect us from a perceived threat that he is not even sure exists Bush has possibly waged a biological war on his own country.