Louis Warren

Routine smallpox vaccinations of Americans ended in the early 1970s after the deadly disease was successfully eradicated. However, stockpiles of the smallpox virus remain in both the United States and Russia, and some people worry that stolen smallpox germs might be used as biological weapons. In the following viewpoint, Louis Warren contends that the United States is strikingly vulnerable to a smallpox attack and advocates that all Americans once again receive smallpox vaccinations. Warren is a history professor at the University of California at Davis.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What lessons does Warren derive from the history of the New World following European contact?
2. How long does a smallpox vaccination retain its effectiveness, according to the author?
3. Why would smallpox be hard to contain after...