Smallpox Vaccination Has Few Takers
NewsMax.com Wires
Thursday, June 19, 2003
ATLANTA – Efforts by U.S. officials to vaccinate American civilians have come to a virtual halt because few civilians have opted to take it, officials said Wednesday.
Health officials, quoted by the New York Times, said the 493,000 people who have been vaccinated have experienced a lower-than-predicted the rate of dangerous side effects.
Almost all military personnel have been vaccinated, but most eligible civilians, up to 500,000 health care and emergency providers, have so far declined. The quick end to the war in Iraq is being cited as one of the possible reasons.
The program got off to a slow start, according to Dr. Raymond A. Strikas, director of smallpox preparedness at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and volunteers dropped off sharply after late March. Phase 3 of the U.S. program would have extended vaccination to the general public, he said "but there's been relatively little clamoring for that."
Copyright 2003 by United Press International.
All rights reserved.
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