Vaccination News Home Page                                            subscribe Vaccination NewsLetter

E-NEWS FROM THE NATIONAL VACCINE INFORMATION CENTER

Vienna, Virginia              http://www.909shot.com

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

    UNITED WAY/COMBINED FEDERAL CAMPAIGN

                 #9119

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Protecting the health and informed consent rights of children since 1982."

==========================================================================================

FROM THE SUN SENTINEL, FLORIDA http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/letters/sfl-brmail881apr30,0,3811761.story?coll=sfla%2Dnews%2Dletters

Reason few seek smallpox vaccine

Jeffrey S. Sartin, M.D.

LaCrosse, Wis.

April 30, 2003

I read with interest your recent report that Florida will begin vaccinating first responders against smallpox ("Low turnout feared for smallpox shots plan," April 25). As an infectious disease physician in Wisconsin who has helped administer the program locally and who has seen several severe vaccine complications, I believe it is an unwise decision.

The cost and resource issues are well-known and do not need to be reiterated. What is more important is the significant health risk of the vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted 45 serious complications, including 10 confirmed or probable cases of myocarditis (heart inflammation) and four heart attacks, two fatal, among the 33,444 civilians vaccinated so far. That is a risk of 1 in 740, which is far and above any risk we would consider acceptable for a medical treatment.

In La Crosse we have seen a severe case of myocarditis requiring intensive care unit admission and a fatal illness possibly linked to the vaccine. The current vaccine is a live virus, which causes complications in unpredictable ways. Ironically, safer vaccines exist and have been used in the past in other countries; they are currently being investigated for approval in the U.S.

The program nationally has been rather unsuccessful, with less than 10 percent participation of the target group of health workers. The serious complications and lack of adequate compensation for illness have kept recipients away in the absence of an actual smallpox outbreak. Why any state would want to build upon this failure by expanding the program is anyone's guess. The result is predictable: more vaccine complications, and possibly more deaths, for no discernible gain

=============================================

News@909shot.com is a free service of the National Vaccine Information Center and is supported through membership donations.  Learn more about vaccines, diseases and how to protect your informed

consent rights http://www.909shot.com

Become a member and support NVIC's work  https://www.909shot.com/order.htm

To sign up for a free e-mail subscription http://www.909shot.com/emaillist.htm

To unsubscribe from this list, send an email to news-request@909shot.com and type

UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the email.

NVIC is funded through individual membership donations and does not receive government funding. Barbara Loe Fisher, President and Co-founder.

NOTE: This is not an interactive e-mail list. Please do not respond to messages.

Vaccination News Home Page

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.