The government’s plan to stockpile enough smallpox vaccine to vaccinate every single citizen is no doubt a prudent move given the virulent nature of the disease, but it also raises a question about our public health policies toward more mundane threats.

While Washington has been focussed on the potential harm should terrorists unleash a smallpox epidemic or more widespread anthrax attacks, many Rowan County residents have been wondering when they’ll be able to get flu shots. Like every other state, North Carolina is experiencing spot shortages of the flu vaccine.

There haven’t been any severe outbreaks of the illness yet. But it’s early in the season, and the diversion of attention elsewhere may lull the elderly and other at-risk groups into thinking influenza isn’t worth a second thought when we have anthrax-laced letters, smallpox and other exotic threats to worry about. That kind of mentality could be a fatal mistake. Each year, flu is responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans. Bacterial pneumonia, hepatitis and meningitis also claim thousands of lives, many of which could be saved through wider availability and use of vaccines.

Public health officials expressed their concerns about the low immunization rate for those and other diseases while testifying before a Senate subcommittee earlier this week. In addition to the scarcity of flu vaccine, they noted shortages of vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and, on occasion, chicken pox. Although most of those once-feared illnesses have dropped from our high-anxiety radar, the doctors warned that under-immunization in vulnerable groups — especially lower-income children, the elderly and those whose immune systems are already compromised — could allow such diseases to regain a foothold.

That doesn’t discount the potential harm of a wholesale anthrax attack or smallpox epidemic, or argue against taking preventive steps against them. Although experts believe a smallpox attack is unlikely, the highly contagious virus could quickly overwhelm stricken communities, so the government’s action to secure adequate vaccinations makes sense. But it also makes sense for us to be better prepared to immunize people against influenza, pneumonia, meningitis and other lower-profile illnesses that inevitably occur each year.

Vaccine production is largely determined by private drug companies and the competitive marketplace. But as the Bush administration’s response to the potential anthrax and smallpox threats has shown, government can intervene to speed development and delivery of vaccines and antibiotics. If an anthrax attack that thus far has caused 11 deaths nationwide merits that sort of administrative action, then surely it’s worth a higher profile campaign to ensure that we have adequate supplies of flu vaccines and other immunizations that almost certainly can save thousands of lives each year. Those more common bugs will continue to besiege us long after the terrorists have been dispatched.