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September 9, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Many Worry That Nation Is Still Highly Vulnerable to Germ Attack" New York Times (www.nytimes.com) (09/09/02) P. A16; Stolberg, Sheryl Gay; Miller, Judith

Experts say that the United States is still very vulnerable to bioterrorism, especially against the nation's food supply, and in the past year the public health system has received almost $1 billion to bolster plans to identify and respond to potential bioterrorist threats.  The government says much progress has been made, but it admits that much more must be done, and scientists and intelligence officials are divided over whether to conceal scientific information on the grounds of national security. Fears about a sufficiency of smallpox vaccine have eased recently, as researchers have found that diluting existing stockpiles can provide enough vaccine for every U.S. citizen, and the government has ordered additional vaccine stocks.  But it has not been decided whether the government should offer the vaccine to emergency and health care workers as a precaution, as the vaccine is made with a live virus and carries a risk of side effects.  The White House is expected to announce a decision by the end of September.  Meanwhile, the Office of Public Health Preparedness has distributed millions of dollars to the states to improve public health, and the states are now working on the problem, but they have a number of issues to resolve, and one doctor notes that there is no well-defined plan for the nation. Much of the money disbursed went to public health agencies, with hospitals getting much less, and many hospital executives warn that they cannot afford bioterrorism preparations on their own.

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