By Greg Webb
Global Security Newswire

WASHINGTON — Formally announcing the U.S. smallpox vaccination policy today, U.S. President George W. Bush said he was ordering certain members of the U.S. military to receive the vaccine and, in a move to demonstrate solidarity, said he too would receive the vaccination (see GSN, Dec. 12).

In addition, the U.S. Health and Human Services Department will encourage state and local governments to form volunteer civilian teams to respond to any smallpox attack, Bush said, and team members would be asked to voluntarily receive the vaccination.

In the military, vaccinations will be administered to smallpox response teams, hospital and clinic workers, and “other designated forces having critical mission capabilities,” according to a Pentagon release issued today

The U.S. military has relatively recent experience with vaccine, which the general U.S. population stopped receiving in 1972.  Although the World Health Organization declared smallpox eradicated from the world in 1980, U.S. military recruits continued to receive the vaccine until 1990, according to the Pentagon release.

Explaining his decision, Bush said the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks were forcing the United States to evaluate “old threats in a new light.  Our government has no information that a smallpox attack is imminent.  Yet it is prudent to prepare for the possibility that terrorists who kill indiscriminately would use diseases as a weapon.”

Furthermore, “we believe that regimes hostile to the United States may possess this dangerous virus,” Bush said.

Bush said he would also be vaccinated.  “As commander in chief, I do not believe I can ask others to accept this risk unless I am willing to do the same.  Therefore, I will receive the vaccine along with our military,” Bush said.

His family, however, will not.  “Neither my family nor my staff will be receiving the vaccine, because our health and national security experts do not believe vaccination is necessary for the general public,” Bush said.

Though not recommended, the vaccine will be made available to the U.S. public.  “HHS is in the process of establishing an orderly process to make unlicensed vaccine available to those adult members of the general public without medical contraindications who insist on being vaccinated either in 2003, with an unlicensed vaccine, or in 2004, with a licensed vaccine,” according to a White House fact sheet.

Under the White House plan, about 1 million people will probably receive the vaccination, including 500,000 civilian emergency responders and health care workers and 500,000 military personnel.

About Newswire  |  Contact National Journal  |  Re-Use Guidelines

HOME  |  CONTACT US  |  GET INVOLVED  |  SITE MAP

Back to top