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Smallpox Risks

NPR's Richard Harris reports on how people are deciding whether to take the smallpox vaccine. Some hospitals are announcing they won't participate in President Bush's plan to vaccinate one-half million health workers. They say the risk of a smallpox attack hasn't been clearly outlined and seems too low to justify the risks of taking the vaccine. The vaccine causes side effects in many people and can lead to life-threatening illnesses and death in a few cases.

Copyright 2002 NPR

Award-winning journalist Richard Harris has reported on a wide range of topics in science, medicine and the environment since he joined NPR in 1986. In early 2014, his focus shifted from an emphasis on climate change and the environment to biomedical research.