Two Soldiers Develop Bad Reactions to Smallpox Shot

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Two soldiers develop bad reactions to smallpox shot

By Anita Manning, USA TODAY

 

WASHINGTON — Two soldiers have had potentially serious reactions

days after receiving the smallpox vaccine, but no problems have been

reported among more than 400 civilian health workers immunized in

the past two weeks, a health official said Wednesday.

 

The soldiers are the first known cases of severe reactions among

thousands being vaccinated as part of the president's bioterrorism

preparedness plan. Both men are recovering. Under the first phase of

the plan, 500,000 military personnel will be immunized. About

450,000 civilian public health and hospital workers are being

offered the vaccine. They would care for the first victims if

terrorists unleash the virus.

 

The Defense Department says that as of Jan. 31, 3,665 military

health care workers had been vaccinated. The Pentagon has declined

to disclose the total number of military personnel vaccinated so

far. One 23-year-old Army soldier developed encephalitis (brain

swelling) eight days after being vaccinated. He is expected to be

released soon from the hospital. A 30-year-old Army soldier

suffered " generalized vaccinia, " a widespread rash that is caused by

the virus used in the smallpox vaccine. He is back at work. Their

names are not being released.

 

Most of the military personnel are being vaccinated for the first

time, and are therefore more likely to suffer reactions than people

who were vaccinated as children. Routine smallpox vaccinations

ceased in the USA in 1972.

 

" It's gone surprisingly well, much better than we expected it

would, " said Greg Martin, assistant dean at Uniform Services

University in Bethesda, Md. " We've had lots of mild reactions. "

 

No severe reactions have been reported among civilian health workers

vaccinated so far, said Joseph Henderson of the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention. Henderson, associate director of the CDC's

Terrorism Preparedness and Response Program, spoke Wednesday to

state and local public health officials at a meeting sponsored by

the National Governors Association. He said:

 

Forty-three states had requested 368,700 doses of vaccine; 221,700

have been shipped to 30 states and the city of Los Angeles.

Vaccinations have been given to 432 people in 11 states.

The program has met with resistance, especially from hospitals and

nurses' groups who are concerned about what they see as inadequate

liability coverage for those administering the vaccine and

compensation for people who become ill or miss work as a result of

vaccination. Initially, 3,600 hospitals expressed interest in taking

part in the vaccine program, but " that number has gone down a bit, "

Henderson said.

 

In Virginia, more than half of the 88 hospitals with emergency

services have declined to take part until liability and compensation

issues are resolved, said Lisa Kaplowitz, state deputy commissioner

for emergency preparedness.