- Hello Jeff: I know that the article below is several
week old news, but due to the fact that it is very likely that ER personnel
as well as other hospital personnel will be vaccinated against Smallpox,
we must discuss the VERY REAL RISK to patients. I advise anyone who will
be seeing hospital doctors and/or staff, to find out if the staff at the
hospital had recently been vaccinated against smallpox. IF so, find out
WHEN they were vaccinated and calculate if it is within 21 days of that
vaccination. If so, then consider NOT seeing a doctor at that hospital
or find one who has not had recent vaccination.
- If a person must be treated at an ER who did have staff
vaccinations, they must be very careful about contact with those who were
vaccinated.
-
- The danger of contact vaccinia virus is very real.
-
- Patricia Doyle
-
-
- New Research On Smallpox Vaccinations And Contact Vaccinia
-
- By Gina Hill
- CNN
- 10-15-02
-
- CNN) -- Experts poring over data from past widespread
smallpox vaccinations conclude the live virus used in the vaccine may result
in cases of contact vaccinia -- the spreading of the vaccinia virus from
someone recently vaccinated to someone who has not had the shot.
-
- Vaccinia, a less virulent relative of smallpox, is the
live virus used in smallpox vaccinations. People with skin disorders like
eczema can spread the virus across their own skin and potentially infect
others who aren't vaccinated. The vaccinia virus may cause a rash, fever
and head or body aches.
-
- The researchers, led by Dr. John Neff, a former researcher
with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Smallpox Eradication
Program, discussed what they found in a commentary in this week's Journal
of the American Medical Association released today.
-
- Their research focused on mass vaccinations in the United
States, United Kingdom and Sweden from 1947 to 1968. Overall, in the U.S.
studies, the rate of contact vaccinia was in the range of 2 to 6 per 100,000
vaccinations.
-
- The majority of cases a few of which resulted in death
-- occurred in children with eczema, a skin disorder characterized by itchy
red skin and even blisters in severe cases. And the disease was more likely
to be spread to people with a history of eczema even though they had no
active skin lesions.
-
- Age distribution of those U.S. cases shows young people
are more vulnerable to contact vaccinia:
-
- Younger than 1 year: 25 cases
- One to 4 years of age: 113 cases
- Five to 19 years of age: 40 cases
- Twenty years or older: 44 cases
-
- That translates to 62 percent of the cases occurring
in children 5 years old or younger and almost 20 percent in those 20 years
or older, according to the study.
-
- Most cases happened in the home, with many victims getting
the virus from vaccinated family members or playmates. In rare cases, transmission
occurred from a vaccinated nurse to a patient.
-
- "The risk (of contact vaccinia) is not large,"
the researchers write. "This risk needs to be kept in perspective."
-
- But they do admit that - in this day and age - we're
more susceptible than past generations. Why?
-
- Since widespread smallpox vaccinations stopped in 1972,
almost everyone born since then has no immunity to vaccinia, according
to the authors. If vaccinated, this group could spread the virus for up
to 19 days. Even those who have had a smallpox shot in the past could shed
more of the virus and for a longer period of time depending on how long
it's been since their last vaccination and how many shots they've had in
all. In short, most people born before 1972 have had only one smallpox
shot and they would probably react as if they've never had one at all.
-
- Eczema - also called atopic dermatitis - is more prevalent
today. In the United States, rates have increased from 3 percent to 6 percent
to 6 to 22 percent in the past 30 years, according to the researchers.
-
- Today there are more people with weak immune systems.
The authors theorize that's likely due to the spread of HIV and wider use
of drugs to suppress the immune system for cancer patients and organ transplant
recipients, for example. "Contact vaccinia in this population could
be especially serious," the authors write.
-
- Preparation and a carefully crafted vaccine policy is
key to keeping contact vaccinia under control should mass smallpox vaccinations
become a reality, according to the commentary.
-
- They recommend public health officials carefully screen
for those with a history of eczema and compromised immune systems. The
public should be informed about how contact vaccinia is spread and how
to avoid it. Finally, a surveillance system needs to be in place to document
and track adverse reactions to the vaccine.
-
- Patricia A. Doyle, PhD
- Please visit my "Emerging Diseases" message
board at:
- http://www.clickitnews.com/emergingdiseases/index.shtml
- Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa
- Go with God and in Good Health
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