Posted on: Tuesday, February 11, 2003
First smallpox vaccines expected to arrive in days
By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Health Writer
The state Department of Health expects to receive the state's first shipment of smallpox vaccine Thursday, earmarked for healthcare workers who volunteer for vaccination as part of teams that would respond if an outbreak occurred.
Janice Okubo, a Health Department spokeswoman, said the state requested "all 4,500 doses," the number that the state estimated it would need to inoculate at least 3,500 civilian healthcare workers in Hawai'i.
The federal government has been beefing up its smallpox prevention program because of the possibility that terrorists could try to spread the disease. Okubo said vaccination may begin by the end of this month, but most of the shots would probably be given in March.
Okubo said state officials are working with the hospitals to ensure that staff members are well-informed about the "totally voluntary" program as well as the risks associated with the vaccine.
Smallpox is marked by fever and a distinctive, progressive skin rash. It can kill 30 percent of those infected and leave survivors scarred or blind.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 1,000 out of every 1 million people vaccinated experience serious but not life-threatening reactions. In the past, 14 to 52 people per 1 million vaccinated experienced potentially life-threatening reactions and one or two people per million have died because of reactions to the vaccine.
CDC officials say smallpox vaccinations remain effective for three to five years, so civilians who were vaccinated in the 1970s and earlier would need new shots.
On the Mainland, hospitals, labor unions and some individuals have declined to participate until they have a clear indication of whether employees who get sick in reaction to the vaccine will be reimbursed for lost wages and medical expenses.
So far, 28 of 32 Hawai'i hospitals have indicated they would participate in the state's program to offer the smallpox vaccination to their employees.
The four hospitals that have not committed to the program are Castle Medical Center in Kailua, the Hawai'i State Hospital in Kane'ohe, North Hawai'i Community Hospital in Waimea on the Big Island and Shriners Hospital for Children in Honolulu.
