Statement by AAP President Louis Cooper, MD on Smallpox, Flu and Tetanus Vaccines for Children

American Academy of Pediatrics ^ | 6-24-01 | Louis Z. Cooper

[bonesmccoy]

Press Statement on
Smallpox, Flu and Tetanus Vaccines for Children
By Louis Z. Cooper, M.D., President, American Academy of Pediatrics

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For Release: June 21, 2002

"Yesterday, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made several vaccine decisions of importance to all parents. The decisions were based on input from the American Academy of Pediatrics and other specialists in immunization and public health.

Smallpox vaccine is not being recommended for the general public, including infants, children and teenagers. The Academy agrees with the ACIP conclusion that exposing our patients to the severe side effects from the vaccine is not warranted when there is no known immediate danger of a smallpox outbreak. Parents should be aware that smallpox vaccine isn't currently available to any physicians and hasn't been tested yet for use in children. Pediatricians will continue to advise parents on the best ways to keep their children safe and healthy. At this point, smallpox vaccine is not part of the picture.

"On the other hand, the Academy and ACIP are encouraging that flu vaccine be given this year to all healthy children aged 6 to 23 months. This age group has a high likelihood of hospitalization if they get the flu. The vaccine will be offered in October during the start of the flu season.

"The Academy is pleased and relieved to note that the shortage of tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccine is now over. The combination vaccine prevents a neurologic disease known as lockjaw and a life-threatening respiratory illness. Pediatricians will now return to the routine immunization schedule for the Td vaccine, which is a booster dose at 11-12 years, and subsequent booster doses every 10 years. Physicians are being encouraged to call patients whose booster doses were deferred because of the shortage.

"Parents should be assured that the Academy and its pediatrician members will continue to provide vaccine recommendations based on absolutely current, scientific evidence. As yesterday's announcement shows, we will only recommend vaccination when the benefits far outweigh any potential risk."

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 55,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists, and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.

Editor's Note: For parents wanting more information on smallpox, a handout is available on the AAP Web site, www.aap.org and click on "Children, Bioterrorism and Disasters". For other vaccine information, click on "Important Information about Immunizations".

[David Hunter]

You are incorrect regarding dilution of vaccine stockpiles. The US gov't has already completed dilution experiments and the vaccine was still viable.

Good. But the British vaccine that was ordered won't be available for months and our currently available Vaccinia stocks are small.

Are you an American citizen?

No, I'm a British Microbiologist.

[David Hunter]

I found out yesterday that the Russians continued routine mass vaccination against Smallpox into the mid 1980s. The younger brother of one of my Russian colleagues was vaccinated against Smallpox even though he is only 17. They had some audacity overtly continuing routine mass vaccination against Smallpox for 5 years after it was announced by the WHO that the disease had been exterminated.

Britain discontinued routine Smallpox vaccination in the 1960s. When did the USA discontinue it?

[Paleo Conservative]

When did the USA discontinue it?

1972

CDC to hear from the public on smallpox vaccination issues

[Paleo Conservative]

I found out yesterday that the Russians continued routine mass vaccination against Smallpox into the mid 1980s. The younger brother of one of my Russian colleagues was vaccinated against Smallpox even though he is only 17. They had some audacity overtly continuing routine mass vaccination against Smallpox for 5 years after it was announced by the WHO that the disease had been exterminated.

I think President Ronald Reagan said it best when he called the Soviet Union the "Evil Empire." Lots of leftists and liberals were outraged that President Reagan used language that did not imply moral equivalence between the United States of America and the Soviet Union. The existence of their program to make smallpox into a biological weapon proves that Ronald Reagan was right. The Soviet Union was an Evil Empire.

[bonesmccoy]

Military forces were vaccinated until 1990. Civilians were vaccinated until the late 1970's. Lab researchers immunize themselves at CDC. Now, all teams "responding" to smallpox will be immunized (gee...I wonder who is on those teams...hmmm...????... CDC????). But, physicians can not buy the vaccine for themselves and their staff and their families! Why? Because ACIP KNOWS ALL!!!!

Tell ACIP to sit down and tell the President to stop permitting the ACIP to run the vaccine policies for the United States.

[David Hunter]

But, physicians can not buy the vaccine for themselves and their staff and their families! Why? Because ACIP KNOWS ALL!!!!

The government should not stop people from having access to a vaccine that has long been proven to be acceptably safe, as long as they don't deplete the emergency vaccine stocks. If the vaccine would be paid for by those having it and if it comes from a non-emergency source, then I agree with you: voluntary Smallpox vaccination should be available.

Unfortunately, the gutless British government won't allow people to get vaccinated at their own expense either. Hence the only people in Britain under 30 who would be guaranteed to survive a Smallpox attack are British servicemen, citizens of a few third world countries and, ironically, Russian nationals.

[David Hunter]

The existence of their program to make smallpox into a biological weapon proves that Ronald Reagan was right.

Yes he was. They actually approached the WHO and suggested the campaign to eliminate Smallpox. It seems they had quite a despicable ulterior motive, since if Smallpox were exterminated it would make the ultimate Biological weapon. Well there's Soviet/Russian morality for you!

I think President Ronald Reagan said it best when he called the Soviet Union the "Evil Empire."

Personally, I think we should have attacked the USSR between 1946 and 1949, when we had the atomic bomb and they didn't. We could have forced them to surrender just like the Japanese had to surrender, even though an invasion of Japan would have cost tens of thousands of allied lives.

The Russians would have been much better off under the control of the US and its allies than under Stalin. Hell, their economy would be in first class shape and there wouldn't have been a need for the Gulags and the political purges. We missed a golden opportunity after the second world war. General Patten was right, the Soviets were just as bad as the NAZIS and should have been destroyed.

Stavka, Russia would be a much happier and better country today if the US and its western allies had taken over in the late 40s. Sorry to be so frank.

[bonesmccoy]

This is my point Mr. Hunter. Those in the know are sequestering the vaccines, instead of distributing them fairly. Sequestration of the smallpox vaccine is silly.

[bonesmccoy]

Regarding your view of Russo-European and Russo-American affairs, the Russo-Japanese relationship is the lynch pin. Since the Russians and Chinese are attempting to cozy up, the Japanese and Koreans become the weights that tip the scale. If Nor Kor does something silly and upsets the Russians, the new world economics could tip Asia to the hands of a Russian-Japanese-American trilateral block. The Koreans are still split-up and out of the picture due to the Nor/South split.

My analysis is that the US needs to check and balance China. Russia's entry to the G-8 conference this week tips the scales in Asia in favor of a new diplomatic alliance between the Russians, Japanese, and US.

Putin and Koizumi need to end World War 2 hostilities in a better fashion. There are still loose ends to be handled better for the islands north of Japan and South of Kamchatka. These islands have traded identity to the Russians, to the Japanese, and then back again.

Finding mechanisms for Russians and Japanese corporations to cooperate with US firms would be the strongest alliance. These alliances could work with interests in China and Nor Kor to create a foundation for social change.

When the Beijing and Pyongyang "old guard" finally die, the corporations need to be ready to create jobs and opportunity for growth.

One need only look at the maps of the Russian Japanese War to understand the number of times that the lands of Manchuria have changed ownership in the last 100 years.

The Russo-Japanese War began on February 8, 1904, when the Japanese launched a surprise attack on Russian naval vessels at Port Arthur (now Lnshun), China. In the late 1890s the Russians had negotiated with China for the right to extend their Trans-Siberian Railroad across Chinese Manchuria and to secure a strategic base at Port Arthur. The Japanese, who also wanted to establish dominance in the region, went to war with Russia before the completion of the railroad. The Russo-Japanese War, which marked the first time an Asian power had defeated a European power in modern times, established Japan as a major force in world affairs.

United States president Theodore Roosevelt meets with Japanese and Russian envoys on a U.S. naval ship in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to discuss peace at the end of the Russo-Japanese War in 1905. The resulting treaty awarded Japan control of southern Sakhalin island and territories on the Asian mainland, establishing the country as a new imperialist power.

[David Hunter]

Those in the know are sequestering the vaccines, instead of distributing them fairly.

That is certainly scandalous behaviour in a democratic country. I suppose the widespread ignorance of the true dangers of a well planned biological attack among the public and the trust for the CDC, will allow such unscrupulous behaviour to go unpunished.

[bonesmccoy]

That is not the whole story. There were many physicians using small pox vaccine until the late 1970's.

[Miss Marple]

From where did this idea surface that this vaccination is very dangerous? I am 53. I would venture 99% of people over 40 in the USA were vaccinated for smallpox. It was a REQUIREMENT to enter elementary school, college, and the military and a REQUIREMENT to re-enter the USA if travelling abroad. I have had 3 smallpox vaccinations in my lifetime, once at age 5, once at age 17, and once at age 23.

My husband, my sisters and brother, and my mother were also vaccinated. My son was vaccinated in 1969 at the US Army Hospital in Berlin so that I could bring him home to the USA. He was 10 months old.

I think this decision is ridiculous. Voluntary vaccinations should be encouraged. The only thing I can figure out is that the supply of vaccine is far smaller than we have been told, and that they don't want to start a panic. Otherwise, this decision makes no sense to any rational person.

[Paleo Conservative]

That is not the whole story. There were many physicians using small pox vaccine until the late 1970's.

Were there many physicians in the 1970's who were afraid of the potential use of smallpox as a biological weapon in the future?

[deport]

The only thing I can figure out is that the supply of vaccine is far smaller than we have been told,

Very possible.... have we even been producing the vaccine over the past few/several years since it hasn't been in routine use? If not then the only supplies would be what's been in storage for some time (years). In that case, I'd see some hesitancy to use old vaccine..

[bonesmccoy]

I have been attempting to use this forum to debunk the mythos surrounding DryVax. It appears to me that the entire "safety" argument is being advanced by liberals in healthcare that are immunizing themselves and their teams while ignoring the interests of the rest of the nation. The side effect risk ratio for a severe complications from Dryvax appears to be less than the risk of mild or moderate complications of Prevnar. In addition, the oral polio vaccine gave some children paralytic polio each year, but these risks were not judged significant by ACIP until 2 years ago.

I feel the decision of ACIP must be reviewed by senior White House officials and possibly by President Bush. He should render ACIP's opinion valid, but insufficient. Based on the President's responsibility to provide for "common defense", the President needs to permit sales and distribution of the small pox vaccine.

[bonesmccoy]

I doubt that many family or children's physicians were interested or concerned with a smallpox bioweapon. Heck, back then, physicians were more concerned about the actual disease!