Health care workers express concerns over smallpox immunization plans
Health care workers express concerns over smallpox immunization plans
Pharmacists in Alabama will be asked to educate patients
The Bush administration’s plan to immunize half a million health care workers against the smallpox virus is meeting increasing resistance. As of the last press telebriefing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta on Feb. 6, the agency had shipped 204,600 doses of vaccine to 40 states or counties that had requested it. The CDC, however, had documentation of fewer than 700 people in 16 jurisdictions being vaccinated in the first two weeks of the program.
The first phase of the president’s plan includes vaccinating about 500,000 military and civilian personnel who are or may be deployed in high-threat areas, as well as about 500,000 civilian health care and emergency workers. In the second phase, up to 10 million "first responders," such as health care workers, police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians, will be offered the vaccine. The government expected about half of the people in this category to end up being vaccinated. The plan calls for offering the vaccine to the public at a later date on a volunteer basis.
CDC emphasizes preparedness capacity, not numbers
Compensation is a big stumbling block to the rollout of the program, admits Julie Gerberding, MD, MPH, director of the CDC. "We know that many individuals and institutions continue to have questions about compensation. I am confident about our ability to address these issues." She would not discuss details but says she is "optimistic that we will be able to close these gaps."
She also encouraged reporters not to emphasize the numbers of people being vaccinated. "I know it’s tempting to concentrate on the number 500,000 and the number 10 million, but I just urge you to understand that our goal is not achievement of a number. Our goal is achievement of a preparedness capacity."
Concern about risk from the vaccine and questions about how to fund an immunization program have kept some health care facilities from choosing to participate in the program at all. A nationwide survey of state health officials by The New York Times in early February found about 350 hospitals that declined to participate. Hundreds more have not yet decided.
State health departments, however, are continuing their vaccination plans. At least in Alabama, pharmacists will play a primary role in preparation. "The pharmacists of the state have been asked to educate themselves about smallpox and the vaccine so they can help educate their patients," says Charles Thomas, director of pharmacy for the Alabama Department of Public Health in Montgomery.
Pharmacists and other health care workers will be vaccinated for smallpox in phase 2 of the state’s plan. If a smallpox threat did occur and the public would have to be vaccinated, pharmacists would be asked to help in that process, Thomas says. "They would be asked to come to the clinical sites and help vaccinate. They would receive special training for that role."
Alabama was scheduled to start its phase 1 immunization on Feb. 18.
The Bush administrations plan to immunize half a million health care workers against the smallpox virus is meeting increasing resistance. As of the last press telebriefing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta on Feb. 6, the agency had shipped 204,600 doses of vaccine to 40 states or counties that had requested it. The CDC, however, had documentation of fewer than 700 people in 16 jurisdictions being vaccinated in the first two weeks of the program.
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