It is a major challenge to prepare for an unknown event against undisclosed threats. Some public health officials might argue, especially in the aftermath of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, that investments in biological terrorism detract from other important threats, such as natural disasters. But preparedness is not a zero-sum game. Enhanced preparedness for mass casualties not only provides protection against terrorist attacks, it also enables us to better protect our communities against a wide range of industrial accidents, natural disasters, and emerging infectious diseases.
Facilitating interest within the private sector and academia to create critical countermeasures to the threat of biological terrorism rests upon how effectively regulatory, financial, safety, and ethical issues are addressed, and upon how well collaborations among private, public, and regulatory entities can be established. The development of effective countermeasures requires a significant investment in research, which is time-consuming and cost-intensive. The financial costs associated with developing new medical interventions go well beyond the start-up investment and include potential product liability, testing, manufacturing, inventory, and storage.
Project BioShield was designed to encourage interest in and development of countermeasures to enhance domestic preparedness. The collaboration between government, private industry, and healthcare providers—an alliance that Project BioShield was conceived to support—is vitally necessary to sustain preparedness efforts.
The use of funds for biological terrorism preparedness has the potential to enhance attention to other public health issues, such as influenza, human immunodeficiency virus, tuberculosis, and food- and water-borne illnesses. The development of newer and safer vaccines and antimicrobials against potentially weaponized biological agents will also aid against naturally occurring global illnesses.
Project BioShield is one important component of a highly complex domestic preparedness effort. Other important components include the SNS, regional pharmacological stockpiles, local medical response teams, greater funding for hospital preparedness, enhanced and ongoing professional training, improved public education, and increased collaboration across all professional cultures within a community. Investment in the development of new vaccines and improved treatments for illnesses resulting from biological weapons and other WMD are vital for public health and preparedness.