The paper provides an overview of the major functions of the public health and medical response system. These are surveillance (monitoring the health status of the relevant population); epidemiology (an assessment tool used to interpret the raw data obtained through various surveillance sources); laboratory requirements (working closely with epidemiologists to determine the nature of a disease outbreak, whether natural or deliberate); medical management (providing potential victims with the medicines necessary to prevent the onset of symptoms or the vaccine needed to prevent the spread of the disease through the population); training and education (effective warning networks and expertise of medical personnel); and information and communication (providing the right people with the right information at the right time). In discussing each of these functions in the public health and medical response to bioterrorism in the United States, the paper specifies the requirements that must be met for each of these functions to be performed effectively in responding to a bioterrorism threat. Further, it assesses the current situation in the United States regarding compliance with these requirements. Key issues associated with each component are also discussed, and recommendations are offered for implementing each component.