Federal officials had hoped states would vaccinate close to 500,000 health care workers in about a month, beginning in late January. Two weeks into the program, just 16 states have begun delivering inoculations. As of Wednesday, 687 people had been inoculated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has indicated that the smallpox vaccination program is going very slowly - due to the issues surrounding compensation. Based on historic data, a small number of people vaccinated will face life-threatening injuries, and federal officials acknowledge they need a way to offer compensation for lost wages and medical expenses. Reimbursement for lost wages and medical expenses is now only available through the workers' compensation system, which has many loopholes. Visit http://www.cdc.gov/smallpox to learn more about the smallpox vaccine.