| THURSDAY APRIL 3, 2003 | DAVIS CA 95616 |
Yolo halts vaccinations
In response to orders from the director of the California Department of Health Services, local health officials have suspended Yolo County's smallpox vaccination program for public health care workers. The director halted all smallpox vaccinations in California following nationwide concern that the vaccine causes heart problems in some recipients. According to the Department of Health Services, 989 Californians have received the smallpox vaccine since March 18. Although there have been no related deaths in California, the Associated Press reported Sunday that investigators are reviewing the deaths of two health care workers and a National Guard member who suffered fatal heart attacks after being immunized. Yolo County's Public Health Department began its vaccination schedule on March 26, vaccinating about a dozen public health workers who, along with 50 area hospital workers, will investigate diseases and provide vaccinations in the event of a smallpox outbreak. "Fortunately, we were aware of the possibility of a heart disease link on the day we gave our vaccinations, and screened for it at the time," said Dr. Bette Hinton, Yolo County public health officer. "So far, we are having normal reactions, as we expected." A continuation date for the county's program will depend on recommendations from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hinton said. State Health Chief Diana M. Bonta postponed California's smallpox vaccinations until Monday, allowing the CDC time to study potential links between pre-existing heart conditions and adverse vaccine reactions. For more information about smallpox, visit www.cdc.gov/smallpox or www.dhs.ca.gov or call the Governor's Office of Emergency Services Safety Information and Referral Line at (800) 550-5234. Local information about bioterrorism and smallpox is available on Yolo County's Web site at www.yolocounty.org. -- Reach Sara Kashing at skashing@davisenterprise.net Tuesday, April 1, 2003
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