Smallpox vaccine for all Americans

AN effective but risky smallpox vaccine is to be made available to every person in the United States, beginning with the military and health workers who would be in the front line of any bioterror attack.

President George W Bush will announce the plans today and courses of injections could begin as soon as January, senior administration officials said.

The shots will be compulsory for about 500,000 military personnel and will be recommended for another half-a-million who work in hospital emergency rooms and on special smallpox response teams.