Little Rock --- The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) has submitted its order to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for an initial supply of 8,000 doses of smallpox vaccine for delivery during the first week in February.

Phase I of the Pre-event Smallpox Plan will begin Wednesday, February 19, 2003 when ADH Director Dr. Fay Boozman and other members of the Statewide Smallpox Response Team receive their vaccinations in Little Rock. Smallpox vaccination clinics will begin operating throughout the state the week of February 24.

Under Phase I of the plan, up to 10,108 members of public health response teams and hospital response teams and vaccinators could be vaccinated so they can respond to an outbreak without risk of contracting smallpox.

“The vaccine is not recommended for the general public at this time since there is no known threat of smallpox,” Dr. Boozman said. “By vaccinating volunteers who would be initially called upon to respond to a smallpox outbreak, we are strengthening Arkansas’ ability to protect the health of the public.”

If an actual smallpox outbreak should occur, the health care staff vaccinated in Phase I would respond by either providing vaccine, investigating potential cases or providing care to those infected. Phase II of the plan, which has not been scheduled by federal authorities, is expected to include offering the smallpox vaccine to other health care providers and first responders statewide.

Smallpox is a contagious, and in some cases, fatal infectious disease caused by the variola virus. Approximately 30 percent of people who contract the more common form of the disease die. The last case of smallpox in the United States was in 1949, and the last natural case in the world occurred in Somalia in 1977. Routine smallpox vaccinations in the U.S. ceased in 1972.

“The smallpox vaccine is very effective at preventing the disease but it does come with risks. Very different from most vaccines routinely provided, it can result in the deaths of one or two people for every 1 million vaccinated,” Boozman said. “This is why it is critical that health care providers being offered the vaccine make an informed decision about whether to get vaccinated. The week of February 3, we will ship copies of a 22-page smallpox vaccine information packet to hospitals and local health units.”

Prepared by the CDC, the packets are intended to assist potential vaccine recipients in deciding whether or not to participate in the program. “The success of this program will be based on assisting prospective vaccine recipients in making educated decisions about their voluntary participation,” Boozman said.

The vaccine will be distributed to the Health Department’s five regions the week of February 17. “A priority at this time is to ensure that the five regions have the necessary tools in place to safely administer and store the vaccine,” Donnie Smith, Bioterrorism Preparedness Team leader, said. “ We want to have all of our educational materials and clinic supplies in place, and ensure that all personnel have been properly trained before we begin vaccinations.”

In early January 33 public health care providers attended a daylong train-the-trainer smallpox vaccine administration course in Little Rock taught by ADH public health nurses who attended a two-day CDC course in Atlanta. Those trainers are currently conducting extensive training seminars around the state in preparation for activating the 22 clinics the week of February 24.

As further preparation for implementation of Phase I, 3 state public health staff members attended training on recognizing adverse reactions to the vaccine and data management. The Department is also conducting a statewide videoconference on February 7 to train hospital take readers. Take readers are health care professionals responsible for tracking progress of the vaccination in all personnel who volunteer to receive the vaccine.

“The probability of an intentional release of the smallpox virus is low, but since the consequences of an outbreak would be great, we must be prepared,” Boozman said.

The CDC Public Response Service hotline with vital information for Arkansans is available at 888-246-2675 (English), 888-246-2857 (Español), or 866-874-2646 (TTY).  

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