Smallpox vaccine recommendations

Abstract

This study examines how the public’s trust and confidence in the Department of Homeland Security to manage a smallpox outbreak influences their willingness to cooperate with government recommendations. A bioterrorist event in the U.S. presents an extraordinary requirement for risk communication planning, preparation and practice. A deeper understanding of how trust and confidence lead to cooperation will be useful in guiding the government’s communication to the public during a bioterrorism event and will offer practical guidance to risk communicators and public health professionals on how to maximize cooperation with government recommendations during a smallpox outbreak.