Vaccines for adults in an age of terrorism.

Vaccines are an effective, safe, and relatively inexpensive means of preventing infection; thus, they are important tools for fighting biological terrorism. Two diseases, anthrax and smallpox, for which vaccines are not available to the general public are discussed. Three other vaccines--tetanus toxoid, influenza vaccine, and hepatitis B vaccine--generally recommended for adults, may be in short supply as a result of recent acts of terrorism.