FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 18, 2003
Contact: Kerre Fisher, (907) 748-7398
First Alaska healthcare providers to receive smallpox vaccination
Response Teams will be ready if Alaska should ever need them
Anchorage, Alaska - - - Alaska’s smallpox vaccination plan will begin implementation on Thursday, February 20 at Alaska Regional Hospital in Anchorage, with the inoculation of members of Alaska’s Public Health and Healthcare Response Teams. An estimated 100 healthcare workers from the Alaska Division of Public Health (DPH), the Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska Regional Hospital, the Alaska Veterans Affairs Healthcare System and Regional Office, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Arctic Investigations Program will voluntarily receive the vaccinations during four clinics in the next few weeks.
The Public Health Response Team will respond and investigate in the event a case of smallpox is ever suspected in Alaska. They also will provide vaccinations and training to other persons as needed. The Healthcare Response Team will provide care for persons suspected of having smallpox and assist with clinics should a mass vaccination program be needed at a later date.
“Smallpox vaccinations are not recommended for the general public at this time,” DHSS Commissioner Joel Gilbertson said. “Should there be an indication that this is necessary in the future, Alaska has plans in place and will be prepared to vaccinate all Alaskans in a short amount of time. Right now, we are focused on our Response Teams so they will be ready if we should ever need them," Gilbertson added.
The Presidential order issued on January 24 calls for voluntary vaccination of Public Health and Healthcare Response teams in each state. Additional guidance from the CDC is required prior to implementation of voluntary vaccination of other healthcare workers and emergency first responders.
"There is no evidence of an imminent threat of smallpox being used in a terrorist attack”, DPH Director Karen Pearson said. “These are precautionary measures that all states are going through so they can be prepared to attend to the needs of all our citizens should a smallpox attack occur.”
Other Online Information
More information on the Response Teams, smallpox vaccination plan, or smallpox virus, is available at:
Attention Media:
On-site photo and interview opportunities of the vaccination process will be available only on Thursday, February 20, from 8:30am - 9:30am. (Clinic operating restrictions and schedule prohibit a longer opportunity.) All media members who plan to attend must contact Kerre Fisher, DPH Public Health Preparedness Information Officer, at (907) 748-7398, by 5:00pm on Wednesday (Feb 19), and plan to meet in the Alaska Regional Hospital lobby at 8:30am.
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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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