"There hasn't been a sudden collapse in confidence or a suddenoutbreak of pests in any of the locations that have had private contractors, " said Mr Channon.
They refused to accept mounting evidence that thalidomide was responsible for a suddenoutbreak of a rare birth defect called phocomelia, in which children are born with severely deformed internal organs or limbs.
Eagerly awaiting large quantities of vaccine for a mass vaccination campaign, Foege and two CDC colleagues were then plunged into dealing with a sudden smallpox outbreak.