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Smallpox: Bush Favors Extensive Immunization U.S. President George W. Bush is nearing a decision to make smallpox vaccine available to hundreds of thousands of military personnel and health care workers and to eventually expand the inoculations to millions of emergency workers, the Washington Post reported Saturday (see GSN, Nov. 8). Bush is leaning against nationwide immunization, but he has not made a final decision and will probably wait for the results of vaccinations in troops and health workers, senior White House officials said. “The subsequent steps will very much depend on the successes and experience of the first round,” said Dartmouth University scientist John Modlin, the chairman of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Israeli officials have immunized 12,000 people and reported four cases of mild side effects (see GSN, Oct. 24). The expected decision would make vaccine available to 500,000 troops and 500,000 emergency hospital workers, with an eventual progression to 10 million personnel trained to respond to emergencies. The plan would surpass the advisory committee’s October recommendation, which called for immunizing 500,000 emergency workers (see GSN, Oct. 17). “It looks like more people are going to get vaccinated than we originally suggested,” said committee member Myron Levin. The administration has also been considering offering inoculations to members of the public who feel strongly that they need to be immunized. “There is some discussion of making it available to people who feel they absolutely have to have it,” a senior administration aide said. “The question is, can the government just hold on to a stockpile,” the aide said. The administration has reportedly been divided on the question of widespread immunizations. Smallpox expert and top White House adviser D.A. Henderson has cautioned against it, showing Bush pictures of victims of side effects from the vaccine. On the other hand, Vice President Dick Cheney reportedly supports widespread immunizations. Several leading lawmakers have indicated that they plan to hold hearings on smallpox vaccinations in the next congressional session. “Ordinarily it’s more of an executive function, but it’s a big issue and Congress can act on it,” said Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), the incoming chairman of the Appropriations Committee’s subcommittee on health issues. Meanwhile, Republican governors gathered in California yesterday asked the administration for more access to the vaccine (Dana Milbank, Washington Post, Nov. 23). The vaccine stockpile is reserved for an attack, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said. Insufficient antidote and the Food and Drug Administration licensing process are holding up a vaccine plan, he said (see GSN, Nov. 12). In the meantime, states should develop their own plans, he added. “You can imagine, if we do go to war in Iraq, and there is some kind of smallpox epidemic, all of you are going to be held responsible if you are not prepared,” Thompson told the governors (Ralph Hallow, Washington Times, Nov. 24).
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