Dreaded Risks and the Control of Biological Weapons

Sensing an urgent need to take action in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the United States government passed the U.S.A. Patriot Act, which according to Jessica Stern of Harvard University, “precluded careful balancing of competing interests.” A consequence of this legislation, warns Stern, could be a growing unwillingness or inability for doctors and scientists to work with select biological agents. Specifically, by classifying some microbiological research and restricting access to certain pathogens and related information, the Patriot Act could inadvertently hinder U.S. preparedness for biological weapons attacks as well as progress in combating infectious disease.