Andrew Denholm
THE government is preparing for a mass smallpox
vaccination in the event of a bio-terrorist attack. Sir Liam Donaldson,
the chief medical officer, last night outlined the government’s plans for
vaccinating the entire British population.
However, the Department of Health stressed that the proposals did not mean there was an increased risk of attack.
Under the scheme, key health care workers would be vaccinated as a precautionary measure so they could respond to any outbreak.
“We believe we should have plans in place both to search and contain with limited numbers of people being vaccinated around the source of the outbreak,,” Sir Liam told the BBC, “but also we should have in place enough vaccine to vaccinate on a mass population basis if necessary.”
If an outbreak did occur, the population in that area would be offered vaccination. Only if there were numerous outbreaks would the government consider a mass vaccination.
Sir Liam told the BBC’s Ten O’clock News: “It’s when rather than whether and it is who should be vaccinated, because a proper counter plan to a smallpox attack would involve having a group of essential workers who were immune to the disease through vaccination.”
A Department of Health spokeswoman said: “The department has been talking about this since 11 September last year. Lots of other countries around the world are doing the same thing.”
However, the Department of Health stressed that the proposals did not mean there was an increased risk of attack.
Under the scheme, key health care workers would be vaccinated as a precautionary measure so they could respond to any outbreak.
“We believe we should have plans in place both to search and contain with limited numbers of people being vaccinated around the source of the outbreak,,” Sir Liam told the BBC, “but also we should have in place enough vaccine to vaccinate on a mass population basis if necessary.”
If an outbreak did occur, the population in that area would be offered vaccination. Only if there were numerous outbreaks would the government consider a mass vaccination.
Sir Liam told the BBC’s Ten O’clock News: “It’s when rather than whether and it is who should be vaccinated, because a proper counter plan to a smallpox attack would involve having a group of essential workers who were immune to the disease through vaccination.”
A Department of Health spokeswoman said: “The department has been talking about this since 11 September last year. Lots of other countries around the world are doing the same thing.”
