Despite the successful eradication of smallpox, there is still a small chance that it could be used as biological weapons. Similar fears have elevated drastically in the United States after September 11th and other wars in the Middle East. While the chance of such an attack being very low, the US has since stocked up on enough of the vaccine to inoculate every single citizen. Smallpox was officially declared eradicated by public health officials on December 9th 1979. It was the very first time in history that a disease had been completely banished from the Earth by decisions and actions from world leaders and health professionals. That has become a model for later efforts to eradicate polio and several other diseases.
