CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The president's decision to have the military vaccinated for smallpox is not without controversy. There are risks involved, but the administration sees the move as a precaution against the possibility of bioterrorism. Our Frank Buckley explains the plan and possible problems.</s>FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): A senior administration official says that the formal announcement will come on Friday, but the president will announce that the vaccinations will be offered in phases, first going to members of the U.S. military. Some 500,000 military personnel will get inoculated in this first phase. Following that group, emergency care providers, ER doctors, others who would come in contact with anyone infected with smallpox. That's about half-a-million people as well. They will get the vaccination. Then, first responders, and this is a fairly large number, some 7 to 10 million paramedics, police officers and other health care workers would be given the chance to be immunized. And at some point, the general public would also have the chance to get the vaccine. The president says it will be voluntary for civilians. In an interview to be broadcast later this week on "ABC News," the president says that he wants it to be voluntary, and that the government will do its best to get out as much information as possible, so that people can make decisions about themselves. Some of the potential risks involved in taking the smallpox vaccine, according to 1960s data, of one million people who will get the vaccine, one or two will die. I'm Frank Buckley at the White House -- back to you.
Smallpox Vaccinations: Military Goes First