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October 14, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Pentagon Plans Smallpox Shots for Up to 500,000"

New York Times (www.nytimes.com) (10/12/02) P. A1; Miller, Judith; Schmitt, Eric 

Military and administration officials say that the Pentagon is expected to begin vaccinating up to 500,000 troops against smallpox as soon as the vaccine is licensed, which should be in mid-November, so long as the White House does not object.  Most of those vaccinated would be in units that could be deployed to the Middle East.  Public health officials say that the Pentagon had already asked the Department of Health and Human Services to reserve 1 million smallpox vaccine doses for U.S. military use. Government health officials reportedly want to offer the vaccine to the public after up to 10 million health care workers are vaccinated and the vaccine is licensed; however, this would likely not occur before 2004.

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