Kentucky Plans to Vaccinate Thousands Against Smallpox

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http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=1044108

Kentucky Plans to Vaccinate Thousands Against Smallpox
 
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December 10, 2002

FRANKFORT (AP) -- Kentucky plans to vaccinate at least 5,000 medical workers against smallpox and perhaps as many as 10,000 if ordered by President Bush.

A public health official said Tuesday the first to be vaccinated would make up the advance teams that check out possible cases of smallpox.

The state's public health commissioner says people who go investigate possible smallpox cases ought to be vaccinated. Dr. Rice Leach says people likely to be taking care of the patient ought to be vaccinated against it. And if it turns out the patient did have smallpox, the vaccinators ought to be vaccinated.

Smallpox is an acute, contagious disease caused by a virus.

Leach says that though the state has planned for it, mass vaccination of the public in advance of an actual outbreak is unlikely.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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