Monday, July 08, 2002, 19:32 EDT (7:32 PM EDT)
CDCHAN-00087-2002-07-08-UPD-N
Smallpox Vaccination Policy Update
Several recent news stories have
circulated suggesting that the federal government has reached a decision on the
recommendations about use of smallpox vaccine that were made by the Advisory
Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
The purpose of this Health Alert message
is to update you on the current status of the federal smallpox vaccine policy.
Pre-event Smallpox Vaccination
The CDC continues to solicit input
regarding smallpox vaccination policy and the ACIP recommendations for
pre-event vaccination in preparation for its recommendation to the Department
of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson. No final policy decision
has been reached.
The ACIP's recommendations made on
June
21, 2002,
include:
· Under current circumstances, with no
confirmed smallpox, and the risk of an attack assessed as low, vaccination of
the general population is not recommended, as the potential benefits of
vaccination do not outweigh the risks of vaccine complications.
· Smallpox vaccination is recommended
for persons pre-designated by the appropriate bioterrorism and public health
authorities to conduct investigation and follow-up of initial smallpox cases
that would necessitate direct patient contact.
· Smallpox vaccination is recommended for healthcare personnel at risk for exposure to
the initial smallpox cases in facilities that are pre-designated to receive
these patients.
The number of people to be
vaccinated has not yet been determined.
It will depend on the policy decision as well as input from state and
local health officials responsible for bioterrorism planning.
Response to possible smallpox cases
In the event that a case or cases of
smallpox are diagnosed, vaccination of contacts and contacts of contacts (ring
vaccination) would be initiated as outlined in the CDC Draft Smallpox Response
Plan.
In addition, if circumstances
warrant, vaccination of communities or other populations (mass vaccination)
would be added as a supplementary strategy.
CDC is assisting state and local
health agencies to develop contingency plans for smallpox vaccination of
persons at risk after a smallpox event.
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- Info Service: Provides general information that is not necessarily considered to be of an emergent nature. Example: HAN00319
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