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October 7, 2002
U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"Pediatricians Group Favors Limited Smallpox Vaccines" Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com) (10/07/02) P. A2
In a new policy statement being released today, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is recommending limited smallpox shots if a case is detected, instead of universal vaccination prior to an attack with the deadly virus. The AAP said the potential side effects of the vaccine are too serious, and it noted that the available vaccines have not been studied in
children. Studies from the 1960s suggest that out of 1 million
people vaccinated against smallpox, 15 will experience life-threatening complications and up to two will die. Unless there is a high risk of attack with smallpox, the AAP recommended that the shots be restricted to those who are closest to the infected individual and then extend outward to their contacts who may have been exposed as well.
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