FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 9, 2002
Alaska plans for vaccinating smallpox response teams
No vaccinations until President Bush issues order.
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State of Alaska Public Health officials today submitted Alaska’s Pre-Event Smallpox Response Plan to the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta (CDC). President George W. Bush ordered all states to prepare an initial plan to begin vaccinating specific public health and healthcare response teams against the smallpox virus Orthopox virus variola. Smallpox vaccine has not been routinely administered to anyone in the United States since 1972.
“All smallpox vaccinations will be voluntary, and no smallpox vaccinations will be initiated until the President announces the start date for the program and the CDC releases the vaccine,” Joel Gilbertson, DHSS Commissioner said.
“We are trying for a balance between having sufficient response team capacity and having the safest possible pre-event vaccination plan,” Karen Pearson, Alaska Director of Public Health said. “Alaska’s plan will be reviewed by the CDC who may suggest changes or additions.”
Once Alaska’s plan is approved, CDC will be prepared to ship smallpox vaccine to Alaska when President Bush sets a date for the vaccination program to begin. The plan calls for vaccinating all members of response teams within 30 days of the order. The Public Health response teams will consist of staff from the State Division of Public Health and the Municipality of Anchorage, Department of Health and Human Services.
The Plan was developed with the assistance and participation from many Alaskan organizations and stakeholders including the Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association and its member hospitals, the Alaska Native Health Board and Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, the Municipality of Anchorage-Department of Health and Human Services (MOA-DHHS), Elmendorf AFB Hospital, the Veteran’s Administration and many others.
Pearson emphasized that smallpox vaccinations will not begin until sometime in January 2003 at the earliest. The Plan includes an education program for health care providers, first responders, and the general public.
“The probability of an intentional release of the smallpox virus is low, but since the consequences of an outbreak would be great, Alaska must be prepared”, Dr. John Middaugh, Chief of Alaska’s Section of Epidemiology said. Smallpox vaccination of emergency response teams before a confirmed smallpox case or outbreak provides response teams personal protection from smallpox disease and thus enables them to rapidly take the actions necessary to protect the public. This includes identifying people who need to be vaccinated to control the outbreak, as well as establishing public vaccination clinics.
Alaska Regional Hospital will develop the first healthcare response team. If President Bush expands the initial order, all Alaska hospitals will eventually have teams. Hospitals have been asked to begin developing plans for local healthcare response teams to serve their communities, should the vaccination program be expanded to include all health care providers, emergency medical technicians, and police and fire personnel. This decision also rests with the President.
Alaska has also prepared a Post-Event Smallpox Response Plan that was sent to CDC on December 2, which details the steps to respond to a case of smallpox occurring in the United States. A confirmed case of smallpox would be viewed as evidence of a terrorist attack. In that instance, the State of Alaska would immediately initiate the Post-Event Plan that includes provisions to mass vaccinate all Alaskans.
Alaska’s Pre-Event Smallpox Vaccination Plan concerns matters of national security, and is confidential.
Other information
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Center for Disease Control & Prevention in Atlanta, smallpox information
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For more information, please contact
Sherry Hill, Special Assistant to the Commissioner for Communications
(907) 465-1611Or
Ross Soboleff
Public Information Officer III
(907) 465-1611
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