Preparedness Update: The New York Times had a balanced treatment of the smallpox vaccine debate yesterday that's well-worth the read. In a related editorial the Times came out squarely in favor of voluntary pre-attack vaccination:

As long as informed individuals can decide for themselves whether to take the risk, and as long as precautions are in place to minimize secondary transmission, mass vaccination seems a prudent way to protect against a smallpox attack, and possibly even deter it.