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AT THE same time,
officials said the president was comfortable with proposals to
eventually offer the smallpox vaccine to all Americans, beginning
with health care workers most likely to come into contact with a
contagious patient. He has not, however, signed off on key details
or a final plan.
Bush’s top bioterrorism aides agree the vaccine should
eventually be offered to the general public. At issue is how fast to
move ahead.
A once-feared disease, smallpox historically killed 30
percent of its victims. The highly contagious virus, for which there
is no known treatment, also could be a powerful weapon. Routine
vaccinations in the United States ended in 1972, making the
population highly vulnerable to an attack.
But the vaccine, made from a live virus, is also dangerous.
Health experts estimate that one or two of every million people
vaccinated for the first time will die, and about 15 others will
suffer life-threatening side effects.
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U.S. troops
train for chemical attack
November 12, 2002 — NBC’s Jim
Miklaszewski has a rare look inside the Army training camp for
U.S. troops who could be targets of a bioterror attack. |
FIRST RESPONDERS
WOULD BE FIRST
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Advertisement
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Under
the proposal for the military, the first personnel to receive the
vaccine would be “first responders” - troops responsible for
assisting in domestic disasters, such as a bioweapons attack. They
include medical specialists.
As many as 500,000 troops might eventually be inoculated,
senior defense officials have said. Of the 1.4 million men and women
in the active-duty military, fewer than half have ever received the
smallpox vaccine.
Bush is moving toward smallpox decisions as possible war
looms with Iraq, which U.S. intelligence officials believe has
smallpox samples.
Amid heightened concerns, the Pentagon is pushing to provide
every available form of protection for troops who might be exposed
to germ weapons in Iraq or elsewhere. Unlike the civilian
vaccination program, which would be entirely voluntary, troops would
be required to get the shots.
Study backs targeted smallpox shots
CHENEY FAVORS PLAN
Vice President Dick Cheney, a former defense secretary, is
among those who have pushed most aggressively for protecting the
military and the general civilian population against smallpox
attack. |
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The Department of Health
and Human Services has set aside about 1 million doses of smallpox
vaccine for the military. Those doses are expected to be provided
from the 1.7 million doses that have been licensed by the Food and
Drug Administration.
Bush has postponed announcing a decision on vaccinating the
civilian population until after he returns from a NATO summit in
Europe on Nov. 23. Aides said they did not know when he would
disclose his decision on vaccinating troops.
For the civilian population, top health officials favor
offering the shots first to people on special smallpox response
teams and to those who work in hospital emergency rooms.
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Next would be about 10 millions others, including emergency
responders and other health care workers. Eventually, the vaccine
would be offered to the general public, though not until there was
enough FDA-approved vaccine available, probably in early 2004.
Some in the White House favor moving ahead more quickly,
offering it to the general public even before FDA approval.
Bill would protect those giving shots
© 2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
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