Study: Widespread smallpox inoculations too dangerous

[CAL/AAEM News Service]

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AHA NEWS NOW

The Daily Report for Health Care Executives

www.ahanews.com

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Friday, December 20, 2002

3) Study: Widespread smallpox inoculations too dangerous

Widespread smallpox vaccination is too dangerous to justify unless the likelihood of a major biological attack on the U.S. is substantial, says a new study by the nonprofit RAND Center for Domestic and International Health Security. The study, appearing on the Web site of the New England Journal of Medicine (<http://www.nejm.org>), adds, however, that it is prudent to vaccinate health care workers now against the disease. RAND researchers estimate that if 60% of the U.S. population were immunized, there would be about 500 deaths -- a price they say is too high to pay if there is little chance of a widespread attack against America. Researchers also found that if nearly all 10 million health care workers in the U.S. were vaccinated against smallpox, an estimated 25 people would die. The study said the risk is justified, though, because health care workers could come in close contact with the sick before the disease is recognized.

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Copyright 2002 by the American Hospital Association. All rights reserved. For republication rights, contact Craig Webb. AHA News is a registered trademark of the American Hospital Association. The opinions expressed in AHA News Now are not necessarily those of the American Hospital Association.


Brian Potts 
Managing Editor, CAL/AAEM News Service 
MS-IV, UC Irvine 
MD/MBA candidate 
pottsbri@yahoo.com


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<P>AHA NEWS NOW</P>
<P>The Daily Report for Health Care Executives</P>
<P></FONT><A href="http://us.f207.mail.yahoo.com/ym/www.ahanews.com"><U><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>www.ahanews.com</U></FONT></A></P><FONT size=2>
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<P>Friday, December 20, 2002</P>
<P>3) Study: Widespread smallpox inoculations too dangerous</P>
<P>Widespread smallpox vaccination is too dangerous to justify unless the likelihood of a major biological attack on the U.S. is substantial, says a new study by the nonprofit RAND Center for Domestic and International Health Security. The study, appearing on the Web site of the New England Journal of Medicine (&lt;</FONT><A href="http://www.nejm.org/"><U><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>http://www.nejm.org</U></FONT></A><FONT size=2>&gt;), adds, however, that it is prudent to vaccinate health care workers now against the disease. RAND researchers estimate that if 60% of the U.S. population were immunized, there would be about 500 deaths -- a price they say is too high to pay if there is little chance of a widespread attack against America. Researchers also found that if nearly all 10 million health care workers in the U.S. were vaccinated against smallpox, an estimated 25 people would die. The study said the risk is justified, though, because health care workers could come in clo!
se contact with the sick before the disease is recognized.</P>
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<P>Copyright 2002 by the American Hospital Association. All rights reserved. For republication rights, contact Craig Webb. AHA News is a registered trademark of the American Hospital Association. The opinions expressed in AHA News Now are not necessarily those of the American Hospital Association.</P></FONT><BR><BR><STRONG>Brian Potts <BR>Managing Editor, CAL/AAEM News Service</STRONG> <BR>MS-IV, UC Irvine <BR>MD/MBA candidate <BR>pottsbri@yahoo.com<p><br><hr size=1>Do you Yahoo!?<br>
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