Posted on: Thursday, May 22, 2003

181 healthcare workers volunteer for smallpox shot

By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Health Writer

A state official said 181 healthcare workers statewide have volunteered for smallpox vaccinations — less than half the number that had been targeted earlier but enough to staff an initial bioterrorism response.

Health Department spokeswoman Janice Okubo said 93 volunteers come from private hospitals, 74 from the Health Department and 14 from private ambulance crews and volunteer emergency workers.

In February, the Heath Department said it expected to vaccinate 500 to 700 healthcare workers as part of a nationwide effort to prepare for the possibility that terrorist would use the disease as a weapon.

Okubo said the strike by nurses at three major hospitals early this year slowed vaccination efforts, as did reports that some people on the Mainland died of heart-related complications after receiving the vaccine.

In addition, people who had three or more risk factors including smoking, obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure were not allowed to receive the vaccine, Okubo said.

Okubo said more people can be vaccinated if the need arises.

"We feel that that will be enough people to do an investigation and an initial response."

She said the state was careful to warn all volunteers of the potential risks associated with the vaccine, which may have hampered recruitment but probably helped to prevent any severe reactions to the shot.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some 36,217 health workers nationwide got the shots. Hawai'i's numbers rank in the middle, lower than some states but higher than others.