Ring vaccination versus mass vaccination in event of a smallpox attack.

Abstract

Since vaccination is critical in responding to smallpox exposure, vaccination strategies must be evaluated during bioterrorism preparedness. Information on historical factors, smallpox characteristics, public health capabilities and hypothetical attack scenarios was used to evaluate major vaccination strategies. In event of a smallpox attack, the optimal strategy is situational, mass vaccination may be best for dense island populations such as Oahu.