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October 18, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"U.S. Stockpile of Smallpox Vaccine Is Ready, But Distribution Plan Is Not" Philadelphia Inquirer (www.philly.com) (10/17/02); McCullough, Marie

While 153 million doses of smallpox vaccine have been stockpiled by the U.S. government, a distribution plan has yet to be finalized.  The administration of President George W. Bush favors a gradual phase-in of inoculation for most Americans, although an advisory committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently recommended only inoculating 510,000 hospital workers.  Any plans for a routine inoculation program would be hampered by people's increasing unwillingness to suffer side effects and growth in the number of people for which such effects would occur.  The American Academy of Pediatrics and advisers at the CDC suggest isolating and vaccinating infected people and their contacts, only broadening the immunizations if that strategy does not work.

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