Logical Images Develops Nation’s Principal Smallpox Vaccination Resource For CDC 

CDC WEBSITE FIRST OF SEVERAL PROGRAMS TO EDUCATE PHYSICIANS AND PUBLIC  

Rochester, NY – October 31, 2002. Logical Images, Inc., the global leader in image intensive medical diagnostic tools, today announced that the company has developed the Smallpox Vaccination website   (www.bt.cdc.gov/training/smallpoxvaccine/reactions) for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which was unveiled this week.  The website is intended as an educational and training resource for the nation’s healthcare workers.  While officials believe the risk of an intentional release of the smallpox virus is low, they acknowledge the importance of being prepared.  The website is an important precautionary step and provides information on administering vaccinia (smallpox vaccination), as well as on identifying and managing normal and adverse reactions to vaccinia.   

“There is an urgent and critical need to educate our doctors on who to vaccinate, how to vaccinate, and how to distinguish normal, easily treated reactions from those requiring urgent attention," said Dr. Vincent A. Fulginiti, MD, Professor Emeritus, University of Arizona Health Sciences Center and consultant to the CDC’s working group on smallpox and smallpox vaccination. "Because routine vaccination ceased 30 years ago, many physicians have had no direct experience in administering the vaccine or differentiating between normal and severe reactions.” 

“Vaccination as a preventive measure to a smallpox threat is not without risks,” according to Arthur Papier, M.D., Assistant Professor in Dermatology and Medical Informatics at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Logical Images’ Chief Scientific Officer. “A localized skin reaction is normal after receiving a smallpox vaccination.  But because smallpox vaccine is made from a live virus, there is a small but real risk of life-threatening reactions, especially for immuno-compromised individuals including transplant and cancer patients.” 

According to Donald A. Henderson, MD, MPH, Principal Science Advisor for Public Health Preparedness to HHS secretary Thompson, “The CDC Smallpox Vaccination website is becoming an important national resource for educating our healthcare providers.”  The site provides extensive medical information on the vaccine and its reactions, including high-quality diagnostic images, clinical management descriptions, and references to the medical literature.    

Vincent Fulginiti, MD, Professor Emeritus, University of Arizona Health Sciences Center served as Editor in Chief and principal author.  Donald A. Henderson, MD, MPH, and Art Papier, MD, Logical Images’ Chief Scientific Officer, provided content and scientific oversight.  Karen Becker, DVM, MPH (Health and Human Services); Joanne Cono, MD, Lisa Rotz, MD, Scott Dietchman, MD, and Ray Strikas, MD (Centers for Disease Control) served as project advisors. Contract support for the program was provided by the Monroe County Health Department.   

In a related contract, Logical Images has developed a printed reference guide in collaboration with HHS and PhRMA for administering the vaccination and identifying both normal and adverse reactions to vaccinia. Logical Images introduced diagnostic and training tools for infectious diseases and potential bioterrorism threats with their VisualDx^® system in early 2001. 

Logical Images is an innovator and leader in developing powerful point-of-care diagnostic and decision support tools to enable physicians and non-expert healthcare workers to quickly and accurately diagnose and appropriately treat diseases, both common and unusual.  Based in Rochester, NY, Logical Images’ patent pending technology and VisualDx^® solutions integrate medical photographs and information through a revolutionary methodology to help solve the age old question “What is this?” simply by entering a patient’s symptoms and findings. For more information, visit Logical Images at www.logicalimages.com  or call us in the United States at 800-357-7611 or 585-427-2790.    

Contact:                                 

Stuart Itkin

Logical Images, Inc.

3445 Winton Place

Suite 212

Rochester, NY 14623

585-273-8229

585-427-2790

E-mail: info@logicalimages.com