Reasonable Rascal
06-11-02, 16:23
Date: 10 Jun 2002
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Agence France Presse English 29 May 2002
Smallpox immunity from childhood jabs has died out, says study
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Only a tiny fraction of people who were vaccinated against smallpox before the disease was declared eradicated more than 2 decades ago have still retained their immunity, according to a U.S. study. The figures are bad news to those who believe that they will be protected against a smallpox bioterror weapon thanks to a jab in their childhood.
Of 621 microbiologists in Maryland who received fresh vaccinations against smallpox between 1994 and 2001 to protect them in their daily work of handling dangerous viruses, only 6 percent were still immune from their early vaccination.
The U.S. government is planning to buy 286 million of doses of smallpox vaccine by the year (sic), enough to protect every American from the disease. However, health professionals are divided as to whether it is best to vaccinate everyone immediately, in a pre-emptive campaign, or wait until there is any clear threat. A pre-emptive campaign would make it far easier to contain any outbreak.
However, many people would die -- at least 180 in the US population -- because of health complications arising from the vaccine, says the British weekly New Scientist, which reports on the Maryland research in next Saturday's issue.
Smallpox was declared eradicated by the World Health Organization in 1980, prompting countries around the world to stop routine vaccinations. The virus is highly transmissible from person to person and has a 33 percent mortality rate.
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ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Residual immunity, even if unmeasurable, may still make the difference between surviving rather than dying from a smallpox infection. - Mod.JW]
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Agence France Presse English 29 May 2002
Smallpox immunity from childhood jabs has died out, says study
---------------------------------------------
Only a tiny fraction of people who were vaccinated against smallpox before the disease was declared eradicated more than 2 decades ago have still retained their immunity, according to a U.S. study. The figures are bad news to those who believe that they will be protected against a smallpox bioterror weapon thanks to a jab in their childhood.
Of 621 microbiologists in Maryland who received fresh vaccinations against smallpox between 1994 and 2001 to protect them in their daily work of handling dangerous viruses, only 6 percent were still immune from their early vaccination.
The U.S. government is planning to buy 286 million of doses of smallpox vaccine by the year (sic), enough to protect every American from the disease. However, health professionals are divided as to whether it is best to vaccinate everyone immediately, in a pre-emptive campaign, or wait until there is any clear threat. A pre-emptive campaign would make it far easier to contain any outbreak.
However, many people would die -- at least 180 in the US population -- because of health complications arising from the vaccine, says the British weekly New Scientist, which reports on the Maryland research in next Saturday's issue.
Smallpox was declared eradicated by the World Health Organization in 1980, prompting countries around the world to stop routine vaccinations. The virus is highly transmissible from person to person and has a 33 percent mortality rate.
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Residual immunity, even if unmeasurable, may still make the difference between surviving rather than dying from a smallpox infection. - Mod.JW]