Smallpox, big worries. Preparing medical-response teams is easier said than done, according to healthcare providers across the nation.

Preparations for healthcare workers to respond to a smallpox attack pose an array of daunting challenges, both financial and logistical, that must be addressed in a few weeks. By the end of the month, a massive corps of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers will voluntarily receive the smallpox vaccine as part of the first phase of a national strategy announced last month by President Bush.