Montpelier, Vermont - January 30, 2003

Six nurses from Vermont are some of the first volunteers in the United States to get the smallpox vaccination. Four of the nurses from the Vermont Health Department today talked about why they volunteered at the Governor's weekly news conference. Distribution of the vaccine is part of a plan to protect against a biological attack.
 

"We all evaluated the risk.  We talked with our health care providers and we decided this was an oppurtunity to serve our citizens of Vermont", said Barbara Walton, a nurse who got the vaccination earlier this week.

Two thousand doses are available in Vermont but the general public will not be vaccinated unless there is an outbreak. Governor Jim Douglas is not getting vaccinated but Lt. Governor Brian Dubie wants to get a dose and so will Health Commissioner Jan Carney.