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From The Indianapolis Star - Online Edition

State suspends smallpox vaccinations

Associated Press

April 4, 2003

Indiana has joined the growing number of states to suspend smallpox vaccinations for health-care workers because of concerns the shots may have contributed to three deaths nationwide.

Dr. Greg Wilson, state health commissioner, decided this week to temporarily postpone a vaccination clinic scheduled in Allen County and another clinic scheduled for Marion County, department spokeswoman Margaret Joseph said Thursday. Those were the last two planned clinics in Indiana during the first phase of the vaccinations.

Officials postponed the vaccination clinics "until we get more information about the potential risk of heart problems from the smallpox vaccine," Joseph said Thursday.

None of the more than 765 people who have received the vaccinations in Indiana has reported any major side effects, Joseph said.

The state has, however, asked county health departments to notify those who have been vaccinated in the last few weeks to be especially attentive to symptoms that might indicate they are getting sick.

The state will not provide any more smallpox vaccinations until the Centers from Disease Control in Atlanta provides more information about the three deaths possibly linked to vaccinations elsewhere in the country.

"That's what you always do with public health. When there is something new, you temporarily postpone until you get more information. That's what we're doing," Joseph said.

Wilson's decision was a reversal from the department's earlier stance that it planned to complete the vaccination program.

Earlier this week, the CDC told states that it recommends that people with heart disease -- or at risk of heart disease -- not get vaccinated.

Other states that have temporarily suspended smallpox vaccinations are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Nevada, New York, Vermont and Washington state. Michigan suspended its program for two days but resumed it on Tuesday.

Joseph said the department was pleased with the number of Indiana health-care workers who received the vaccinations. Nationwide, only about 25,000 people have been vaccinated so far, well short of the initial goal of 450,000. Indiana has received 2,900 doses of the vaccine.

The health department last week also announced that it is looking for volunteers who would be vaccinated in case of emergency and then would give the vaccines to others. She said 1,000 people had signed up for the program in the first week.

Those volunteers would only be called in case of a smallpox emergency, Joseph said.

Also on Thursday, the U.S. Senate passed an amendment authored by U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., to provide $105 million for state and local public health officials to meet the costs of administering the vaccine. The House had included $94 million in its proposal. A conference committee will work out the differences.

Bayh said under his plan, Indiana would receive about $2.2 million, enough to vaccinate 26,000 first-responders from Indiana against smallpox and other health threats.

"State governments, local governments simply don't have the resources to deal with this problem because of the condition their budgets are in" Bayh said. "The national government has to step up and make sure the funds are there."

Indiana State Nurses Association

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© 2003

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ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.  THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.