Nevada last in smallpox vaccinations

Benjamin Grove

Wednesday, April 16, 2003 | 11:18 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Nevada is last on a list of states ranked by the number of emergency workers who have been immunized for smallpox, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nevada is the only state where not a single doctor, nurse, firefighter or police officer has been immunized under a new national program, according to the CDC.

State officials, however, say that could soon change.

Smallpox is considered among the most troublesome of bioterrorist threats, and federal officials have grappled with plans to prepare for an attack. Smallpox has been eradicated worldwide, but health officials say it is possible that terrorists have acquired or are trying to acquire samples of laboratory stockpiles of the deadly disease.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson in February launched a program aimed at immunizing millions of people who would form a network of smallpox response teams.

Teams of medical personnel who would administer vaccinations in case of attack need to be immunized now -- before an attack, Thompson has said.

But the cost of the program, potential health risks from the vaccine, and debates about compensation programs for those made sick by the vaccination are making it less popular than expected. Thompson is "frustrated" and "disappointed" by the delay, Thompson said in the Washington Post this week.

The CDC says states have administered only a fraction of the smallpox vaccines distributed to them. Of the 450,000 workers officials had hoped to vaccinate in the first phase of the program, fewer than 32,000 have been vaccinated, according to the CDC.

Nevada received 1,500 vaccine doses but has administered none, putting it at the bottom of the list behind Rhode Island, where 22 people have been vaccinated.

The Nevada State Health Division on March 31 announced it was deferring vaccinations that were scheduled to begin last week, because of recently raised concerns about links between the vaccination complications and heart disease. The CDC has received reports of heart attacks in people who recently were vaccinated.

Nevada joined eight other states that temporarily suspended vaccinations pending more federal study. The Nevada Health Division wanted more guidance from the CDC, including recommendations on how to better screen vaccine volunteers with heart problems.

Now Nevada officials are planning to begin vaccinations as soon as April 25, said state epidemiologist Randall Todd. The first 1,500 vaccinations could be completed by year's end, he said. The state plans a second phase of vaccinations of another 1,500 people, including more health workers and emergency responders such as police and firefighters, Todd said.

Not all of Nevada's 27 acute care hospitals are eager to participate in the vaccination program, largely due to uncertainties about federal compensation for vaccination complications, Todd said.

"Hospitals have not been beating down our doors to do this," Todd said. "And that has been a national phenomenon."

An estimated 1,000 health care workers in Clark County, mainly those who could come in contact with patients and those who would be involved in vaccination efforts during an outbreak, are likely candidates for the vaccine, Clark County Health District spokeswoman Jennifer Sizemore said.