US President George W Bush was yesterday vaccinated against smallpox in hiscapacity as commander-in-chief of US armed forces and wasshowing no side effects, a White House spokeswoman said.
Eight days ago, Mr Bush announced plans to immunize half amillion troops and up to 10 million civilian health careand emergency workers against the long-dormant disease, nowdeemed a terrorist threat.
Doctors began giving the vaccinations on Monday, ahead of apossible US-led war to strip Iraq of any banned chemical,biological or nuclear weapons programs.
Mr Bush took the shot in his left arm in the White Housemedical unit. It was administered by a senior immunizationtechnician from Walter Reed Army Medical Center under thesupervision of the White House doctor.
Mr Bush had said he would get the shot as commander-in-chief.Defense Secretary MR Donald Rumsfeld said he also planned to bevaccinated against any attack involving the smallpox virus.
Smallpox has not occurred naturally since 1978 and theUnited States stopped vaccinating its citizens in 1972. Butsome experts fear that Iraq, North Korea and perhaps extremistgroups may have turned smallpox into weapons.