|
Smallpox stage 1 vaccination planBackground
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asked all
states to submit plans for vaccinating public health and hospital
workers who would likely be among the first to come in contact with a
potential smallpox patient. This is called Stage 1 of the National
Smallpox Vaccination Program. Washington's plan has been reviewed and
approved by the CDC..
- On December 13, 2002, the federal government instructed states to
begin implementing their Stage 1 plans. The Department of Health began
implementing its plan in early 2003.
- We are not aware of any imminent threat of a smallpox
attack, but we do believe in a strong emergency response program.
- The Stage 1 plan does not call for vaccination of the general
public:
- The vaccine can cause serious side effects to the person who
is vaccinated and possibly to people who come in close contact
with those vaccinated.
- In the absence of a smallpox case, the risks of adverse
reactions to vaccination are too great for the general public.
The Stage 1 Plan
- Those vaccinated will be members of:
- Hospital smallpox health care teams – The doctors,
nurses, specialists, technicians, security personnel,
housekeeping, and other staff who would help identify and care for
the first smallpox patients in an outbreak.
- Public health smallpox response teams
– The state,
regional, and local public health workers who would investigate
reported cases of smallpox, provide laboratory analysis, and
vaccinate those affected.
Team members will be volunteers. To ensure their safety, they will
be:
- Screened to eliminate those most susceptible to vaccination
side effects;
- Provided with information that will allow them to make an
informed decision about volunteering for vaccination;
- Monitored for adverse reactions and to make sure the
vaccination takes.
We will vaccinate in advance only the
key personnel needed to perform critical functions immediately if a
smallpox case is identified. This will protect those who need to
respond, while limiting the number of people who are vaccinated or
might be exposed to those who have been vaccinated.
As with all of our preparedness efforts, our Stage 1 plan takes a
regional approach. Most vaccinations took place at vaccination
clinics in each of nine Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response
regions. They were preceded by a western Washington pilot clinic
during the week of February 18 and an eastern Washington pilot clinic
during the week of February 24, at which regional clinic vaccinators
were trained and vaccinated. Regional vaccination clinics begin
operating in early March, after they demonstrated their ability
to operate safely and effectively.
Trained public health nurses or physicians will give vaccinations
by inoculation, a method more complicated than that used with other
vaccines, such as the flu vaccine. The CDC will provide training to
public health professionals who will administer the smallpox vaccine
and monitor those who have been vaccinated.
The
Department of Health worked with the federal government, other state
agencies, and private insurers to address issues of liability for
those administering vaccinations and compensation for those who have a
serious reaction to smallpox vaccine.
The Department of
Health, local health jurisdictions, and hospitals will continue to
work together to update and revise the Stage 1 plan to ensure a
cautious, effective, and safe implementation.
|
