Post-Event Operational Issues

Conclusions

Contact identification, tracing, and vaccination and surveillance of contacts are CRITICAL to interrupting smallpox transmission, even if larger-scale vaccination is implemented. It must be continued throughout the entire outbreak. Inadequate response due to insufficient personnel or delays in fielding personnel increases the likelihood of failure to interrupt chains of transmission, AND leads to more cases, more vaccine needed, and a longer lasting outbreak.

Also, public understanding of the effectiveness of containment will be essential.

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