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December 18, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Company Says It Will Test a Safer Smallpox Vaccine"

New York Times (www.nytimes.com) (12/18/02) P. A16; Pollack, Andrew

VaxGen announced that it has procured the American distribution rights to a Japanese smallpox vaccine it believes is less risky than the smallpox vaccine the White House plans to use.  According to VaxGen, the Japanese vaccine was tested on 50,000 young children about 30 years ago, and it was found to cause no serious side effects and generated fewer cases of fever and redness on the arm than standard vaccines.  But some American critics are skeptical about the idea of using the Japanese vaccine in place of the one already stockpiled, arguing there is not enough data to prove that it is safer or more effective.  Pending approval from the Food and Drug Administration, the California biotechnology company said it looks to hold clinical trials in early 2003 and make the drug available in 2004.

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