By JAIME LUGIBIHL
The Courier
December 9, 2002
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HOUMA – State health officials say Louisiana will soon be prepared to vaccinate everyone who needs protection from smallpox if an outbreak of the potentially deadly disease occurs.

It’s part of the state’s anti-terrorism efforts launched in the wake of the 9/11 attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

The Louisiana Office of Public Health says all parishes will have enough vaccine on hand to give shots to everyone who needs them within 10 days of any outbreak.

A final outline of the plan should be available sometime this week, said Mickey Viator, medical director for the agency’s Region 3, which includes Terrebonne, Lafourche and surrounding parishes.

Local health officials concur that it’s a feasible plan, even with the difficulties associated with vaccinating mass numbers of people.

“It is a very reasonable plan,” said Dr. Mary Eschete, infectious diseases physician at Chabert Medical Center in Houma.

Some people will have the opportunity to be vaccinated in what is considered the first round of “pre-event” shots. Those inoculations start with hospital personnel most likely to come into contact with the disease.

Dr. Jimmy Guidry, state health officer, said the plan for how Louisiana intends to inoculate the estimated 20,000 hospital personnel who might come into contact with the contagious disease will be in place by today.

“The vaccination is not being given to the general public,” Guidry said. “It is really only being recommended for the people who would have to care for the people infected with the disease.”

Louisiana does not yet have any vaccinations for smallpox or a definite date of when they will start giving them, Guidry said. But once the federal government approves Louisiana’s plan, inoculations will be administered immediately to key Louisiana health personnel who want to volunteer for the shots.

The general public will not be pre-vaccinated because the risk levels associated with the vaccination are too high, officials said.

“The benefits are not there,” Eschete said. “That is why they quit vaccinating people.”

The United States stopped regularly vaccinating people in 1972 after the disease was eradicated from the country. However, the federal government ordered statewide vaccination systems after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

In past vaccinations, 1,000 of every 1 million people vaccinated suffered serious reactions, including a rash or outbreak of sores.

Life-threatening reactions were experienced by 14-52 people per 1 million vaccinated for the first time.

The vaccination provides full immunity for 3-5 years and decreasing protection in the years following.

For information about vaccinations or smallpox, contact the CDC at (888) 246-2675.