Anthrax scares, smallpox worries and West Nile Virus outbreaks have all increased Americans’ concerns about bioterrorism possibilities and infectious diseases. To address these growing fears with more research, the government wants to build two more Biosafety Level 4 labs to develop vaccines and drugs. Boston University Medical Center is an ideal location for a new lab and should work on solidifying community support as it moves forward with its proposal for a National Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases and Biodefense.

Boston is a suitable site for a biodefense center since it has a huge academic and research community waiting to be tapped. With Longwood Medical Area, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, Tufts University, the University of Massachusetts Boston and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology nearby, BUMC has many scientists eager to help find new vaccines and drugs and plenty of schools to share the 25 percent of construction costs that would not be covered by the government. Also, the Northeast does not have a Biosafety Level 4 lab, but needs one to improve preparation against terrorist threats.

While bringing highly dangerous diseases and microorganisms into the area sounds scary at first, the benefits of the center far outweigh the drawbacks. The new lab could bring in as much as $1.6 billion in grants, and its construction and operation could bring up to 3,000 jobs to South Boston. Also, as one of only nine Biosafety Level 4 labs in the United States, the lab would bring an enormous amount of prestige to Boston University. The center would also benefit Boston as a whole because if a bioterrorism attack ever strikes the city, having a place to analyze samples can dramatically reduce response and identification times.

While BUMC should expect residents to worry about deadly bioagents in their backyards, the center needs to explain the safety and security measures that would keep the area safe. In 30 years, U.S. biocontainment labs have never had an incident affect a surrounding community. Employees would go through strict screening checks and have to follow rigorous sterilization procedures, and the building would have microfiltration for air and air-lock buffer zones.

BUMC is on the right track by setting up a community liaison group and getting city support from officials like Mayor Thomas Menino. To strengthen the proposal, BUMC needs to provide straightforward information in a non-patronizing and sincere manner to ensure the community understands why a biodefense center should be built at BUMC and what benefits it will bring to Boston. While community fears may be genuine, so are the benefits and protection the center would ultimately offer.