State’s smallpox plan awaits CDC’s approval

Jace Radke

Thursday, Dec. 12, 2002 | 10:51 a.m.

The Nevada Division of Health is waiting to hear from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the state's plans to handle the possibility of a smallpox outbreak.

Smallpox is a virus that can be packaged as a biological weapon.

The state submitted a draft of a post-outbreak plan on Dec. 2 and a pre-outbreak plan this week that detail how the state would vaccinate hospital workers in the event of a smallpox incident, said Jim Najima, the state's public health preparedness coordinator.

"We're in the process of determining who will agree to be vaccinated, and the logistics involved," Najima said. "We're in close contact with the Washoe and Clark health districts, and we'll go over any revisions that the CDC asks us to make."

The decision to be vaccinated is voluntary, and some may choose not to be vaccinated for philosophical or personal reasons, Najima said.

Najima said that because the plans are still in draft form he could not comment on specific details, but he did say the plans mainly deal with the logistics of getting the vaccine to hospitals and determining who will be vaccinated and where officials would respond in an emergency.

States have been working toward developing rapid response teams of medical personnel that have been vaccinated and can respond to an outbreak.

"I've spoken with the CDC person responsible for going over our drafts, so we know that they are evaluating (them)," Najima said.

CDC officials said that while they review the plans they will notify states of any weaknesses they find, and that the drafts they have received from the states have been thorough.

There is no set timetable for the reviews, but CDC officials said that the drafts would be evaluated as quickly as possible.

Routine vaccinations for smallpox ended in 1972.