Smallpox Study going on in St. Louis, MO (Diluted Vaccine Study)

www.kmov.com (St. Louis) ^ | 10/22/01

[stlnative]

SLU conducts smallpox vaccine study
News 4 Health Team Reporter Lisa Manzo
October 22, 2001 5:53 PM

Lisa Manzo (KMOV)

(KMOV) -- Government health officials worry about terrorists using smallpox to attack Americans. They want to buy enough smallpox vaccine to inoculate every American. However, right now there is only enough vaccine for about 15 million Americans. St. Louis University is already conducting a smallpox vaccine study. Worried residents are scrambling for information.

St. Louis University researchers are diluting the old vaccine dryvax in an attempt to make more smallpox vaccine available in case of a bio-terrorist attack. Concerned residents are calling to volunteer for this study in hopes of getting immunized.

"Some people will actually be immunized against Smallpox, but not all people will. We don't know who will and who won't be immunized," says Dr. Sharon Frey, a SLU smallpox researcher.

Using a tiny metal fork, researchers press the vaccine into the arm 15 times. For two months, participants will be followed, returning to the hospital every three to five days for dressing changes.

"Certainly you can get it on your fingers and rub it in your eyes or other places. But we put a dressing over the vaccine site so you cannot do that," Frey says.

Not everyone can participate. You must be 18 to 32 and in good health with no chronic illnesses, serious allergic reactions or a suppressed immune system. You can't have a history of smallpox vaccination or infection and you can't have daily contact with anyone pregnant or children under one year of age.

Some participants will develop side effects like fever or sore lymph nodes under the arm. In a few cases, the disease may spread from the vaccination site to other parts of the body. And one out of a million participants may develop encephalitis. Researchers say a sore will develop at the site if the diluted vaccine is working.

If you are interested in participating in this study, you can call SLU at 314-977-6333. Researchers at SLU and throughout the world are working on developing a new smallpox vaccine, but that may not be available for several years. Right now, there are no plans to immunize the general public.

[stlnative]

FYI... FYI...
I meant to post this earlier after I heard about it on the local news.
You cannot get to the story on the website unless you register. So it is posted in full above.

[stlnative]

FYI...

[Fredgoblu]

Question for all of you medical types out there:

Unless I'm mistaken, being born in 1963, I received smallpox vaccinations as a child. Does the efficacy (sp?) change over time, and are boosters necessary throughout life? In other words, is my vaccination good any more?

My understanding is that they stopped vaccinating because the virus had been more-or-less eradicated in the wild--although there have been some isolated cases in other countries in the last several years. When did they stop administering the smallpox vaccine?

[MichaelP]

I spoke about this with the head of the microbiology department at the college where I work. He insists that you would not lose your immunity regardless of when you were vaccinated. I believe him and I was vaccinated in the 50s.

Mike

[Dan Day]

Unless I'm mistaken, being born in 1963, I received smallpox vaccinations as a child. Does the efficacy (sp?) change over time, and are boosters necessary throughout life? In other words, is my vaccination good any more?

Yes, yes, and mostly no.

Efficacy fades with time. A 1960's vaccination will confer a bit of protection, lessening the severity of the disease somewhat if you catch it, but not by a whole lot.

My understanding is that they stopped vaccinating because the virus had been more-or-less eradicated in the wild--although there have been some isolated cases in other countries in the last several years.

They had totally eradicated the disease in the wild. There have been no "isolated cases" anywhere in the world in "the last several years". There were some final sputters, but that was decades ago.

When did they stop administering the smallpox vaccine?

I've heard arguments over this as to whether it was 1972 or 1978, but that's the ballpark.

[HENRYADAMS]

I have heard the same thing. I was innoculated twice for sure and possibly three times.

Secondly, while nobody wants to get the disease, and assuming the "bug" is not 'tweaked' to make a super bug. The death rate will not be anywhere near the 30 % touted by the media. The reason being the control of secondary infections. This control of say staph and or pneumonia by antibiotics will reduce the death rate. This renders the pre 1946 death statistics suspect.

[dwhite]

Mike I hope and pray the professor is right about this. I do not want to be vaccinated with a live virus.

Please let it be true dear God.

Lady in GA

[rwt60]

In addition, we now have anti-viral medications that have proven effective in reducing the impact of things like flu and other bugs. Much of AIDS research has focused on this type of thing. I think the survival rate would be far higher today than it was 50 years ago.

[jhasslen]

I would imagine that if there was a large enough outbreak it would deplete the resources we have.

[Dixie Mom]

Index bump. To search for smallpox articles, click here: Smallpox List. Please ping all articles relating to smallpox to the list.

[backhoe]

Is that reply to

Smallpox List

If so, I'd like to add

Nuclear, Biological, & Chemical Warfare- Survival Skills, Pt. II

While it covers much more than the 'pox, smallpox is one of the subjects.

[culpeper]

What age did they vaccinate for smallpox? I remember getting quite a few as a kid and waiting in long lines at public schools on the weekend to get the shots. Was this the one they did with that "gun" type injector?

[Dixie Mom]

Yes, please ping to "Smallpox List". Thanks for all the great info in that thread!

[backhoe]

Thanks.... WILCO!

[Dixie Mom]

Thank YOU! :)

[Soul Citizen]

I just had my second round last summer, as a grad school requirement? I asked the same questions about it at the time.

It was required for attendance, even though I had proof of vaccination as a child.

Apparently, it isn't for life.

[Dixie Mom]

Are you certain it was for smallpox? Smallpox vaccines/boosters haven't been required in this country for around 30 years now. (The disease is considerd extinct/eradicated.) The old stores of vaccines are not available to the general public for innoculations/boosters.

[Soul Citizen]

Well it wasn't chicken pox, because once you get that it doesn't matter, and I also had to get Ruebella again, if my memory serves me correctly!