Bioterrorism was a factor only in science fiction books until fall 2001.

Once anthrax appeared mailboxes in 2001, the government and health officials began preparing for the worst. This winter, President Bush unveiled his Three Phase Plan to protect the United States against bioterrorism, namely – smallpox.

This plan is being used in DeKalb County to protect its residents from bioterrorism attacks, especially smallpox. The plan includes training from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to Karen Grush, public health administrator of the DeKalb Health Department.

The Three Phase Plan began, in part, earlier this month. Phase One is to vaccinate those called frontline workers. Frontline workers include those who investigate any unusual occurrences of illnesses and provide treatment in case of an outbreak.

Seven to 10 workers from each health department, as well as 50 to 100 team members from each hospital, are the Illinois’ frontline team. Also included in Phase One is the vaccination of 500,000 military officials and 500,000 emergency response teams.

Phase Two of the plan involves a six-month process of vaccinating additional first responders and a set-up operation for a mass vaccination site. The goal by the end of Phase Two is to have 10 million people vaccinated.

The general public enters the plan in the Third Phase of the plan, which should take place in 2004. The main reason for the wait is because the CDC is trying to develop a better, quicker, easier and safer vaccine, since the present vaccine is not a typical immunization shot.

The vaccine involves a series of pricks on the skin’s surface. A blister and scab should form at the vaccination site. Until the scab falls off, the vaccination site should be kept covered with a gauze bandage to prevent spreading, according to pamphlets recently distributed by Grush. The vaccine itself does not contain the smallpox virus; it contains a similar virus called vaccinia. Vaccinia is less harmful to the body but still triggers the formation of antibodies needed to protect people from smallpox.

Marcy Zanellato, director of health education in DeKalb County, said the severity of side effects may include fever, rash and even death, but the reaction depends on a person’s immune system.

CDC is waiting to recommend vaccination for the general public. The vaccination is voluntary.

The county’s health department also has taken its own measures to protect residents.

There were three main committees formed in case of a future attack, Grush said. The first committee is county-wide and comprised of 25 members who meet quarterly. It was created to form a basis of communication between different areas in emergency and health services.

The second committee is a Medical Distribution Committee. This committee determines how to accommodate the need for a mass vaccination of the 84,000 residents of DeKalb County. Those 84,000 people not only need a place to go, but a place to park and workers to care for them, Zanellato said.

The Convocation Center is made to hold 10,000 people; therefore, it was chosen to be a mass vaccination site for DeKalb County. The second committee includes members from the health department, as well as various departments of NIU.

The third committee is the Primary Providers Committee. These are the county’s frontline workers, including members of the medical field from the health department, emergency health services and a physician from the county.

The third committee’s main goal is to develop a strategy to determine how many people should get immunized in case of an emergency. Since there is a four-day window to get immunized after exposure to smallpox, there is a way of staggering the influx of people over that period of time.

With the idea that an attack of this sort might not occur, some may wonder if all the work will be worth it.

“If we do all this, and nothing happens, then there was much to do about nothing,” Grush said.

But, we will be prepared for an attack, Grush said.