HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response View responses Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (19) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Cohen, H. W. Articles by Sidel, V. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Cohen, H. W. Articles by Sidel, V. W. Related Collections Health Policy Immunization/Vaccines Public Health Practice Government

Hillel W. Cohen, DrPH, MPH, Robert M. Gould, MD and Victor W. Sidel, MD

Hillel W. Cohen is with the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY. Robert M. Gould is with the Department of Pathology, Kaiser Hospital, San Jose, Calif. Victor W. Sidel is with the Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Hillel W. Cohen, MPH, DrPH, Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Ave, Bronx, NY 10461 (e-mail: hicohen{at}aecom.yu.edu).

Bioterrorism preparedness programs have contributed to death, illness, and waste of public health resources without evidence of benefit. Several deaths and many serious illnesses have resulted from the smallpox vaccination program; yet there is no clear evidence that a threat of smallpox exposure ever existed. The anthrax spores released in 2001 have been linked to secret US military laboratories—the resultant illnesses and deaths might not have occurred if those laboratories were not in operation.

The present expansion of bioterrorism preparedness programs will continue to squander health resources, increase the dangers of accidental or purposeful release of dangerous pathogens, and further undermine efforts to enforce international treaties to ban biological and chemical weapons. The public health community should acknowledge the substantial harm that bioterrorism preparedness has already caused and develop mechanisms to increase our public health resources and to allocate them to address the world’s real health needs.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. M. Weiss, P. D. Weiss, and J. B. Weiss Anthrax Vaccine and Public Health Policy Am J Public Health, November 1, 2007; 97(11): 1945 - 1951. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. C. Dowling and R. I. Lipton BIOTERRORISM PREPAREDNESS EXPENDITURES MAY COMPROMISE PUBLIC HEALTH Am J Public Health, October 1, 2005; 95(10): 1672 - 1672. [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. D. Rumm BIOTERRORISM PREPAREDNESS: POTENTIAL THREATS REMAIN Am J Public Health, March 1, 2005; 95(3): 372 - 372. [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. B. Amadio BIOTERRORISM PREPAREDNESS FUNDS WELL USED AT THE LOCAL LEVEL Am J Public Health, March 1, 2005; 95(3): 373 - 374. [Full Text] [PDF]

eLetters: