(Army)Soldier Has Reaction to Smallpox Vaccine

Associated Press ^

[RCW2001]

Saturday February 1, 2003 1:30 AM

WASHINGTON (AP) - One soldier inoculated against smallpox has suffered a potentially serious skin reaction to the vaccine, and officials are investigating whether a second ill soldier also is reacting to the shot, the Pentagon said Friday.

It was the first report of any serious reaction to Americans receiving the vaccinations, which began in December for the military and are just now getting under way for civilians.

The first case, a 30-year-old Army soldier at a U.S. base, was a skin reaction called generalized vaccinia, and officials were confident it was linked to the man's vaccination 10 days earlier.

In the second case, a 26-year-old Army soldier was admitted to an overseas military hospital for encephalitis, a brain disease that can cause paralysis or permanent neurological damage. Diagnostic studies could not confirm that his reaction was due to his smallpox vaccination. But he had received the vaccination eight days earlier, and the timing made authorities suspicious. They are investigating further.

Both men now are in good condition, the Pentagon said.

Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, said the reactions were not surprising.

``We can expect additional reactions to occur; some will be significant reactions,'' he said in a statement.

There has been considerable discussion about the vaccine's risks, which are rare but serious. Experts believe that out of every million people being vaccinated for the first time, between 14 and 52 will face serious, life-threatening reactions, and one or two will die. People who come into close contact with vaccines also can be injured.

The vaccine is made with a live virus called vaccinia, which can escape the inoculation site and infect other parts of the body.

Routine smallpox vaccinations ended in this country in 1972 as the disease was being eradicated from Earth. The last U.S. case was in 1949. But officials fear smallpox could return in an act of bioterrorism, and the military believes its forces, on the cusp of war with Iraq, could face a biological attack.

Vaccinations are voluntary for civilians, but mandatory in the military.

The military has not said how many operational forces it has vaccinated so far, but said the total exceeds tens of thousands. In addition, the Pentagon has vaccinated 3,665 health care workers.

The military vaccinations began in December and include up to a half-million troops in high-risk areas, particularly Southwest Asia.

So far, most of the reactions have been minor, the Pentagon said. Three percent of the people being vaccinated had to take sick leave, with an average length of absence of 1.5 days.

The Defense Department would not release the names or locations of the two people who suffered more serious reactions.

The first case was identified last Saturday. The soldier developed a rash about 10 days after being vaccinated that included several pustules, or pus-filled blisters. The rash appears to be ``generalized vaccinia,'' in which the virus travels through the blood and infects the skin.

Generalized vaccinia can develop into a serious skin condition, but in this case, the soldier is well and continues to work at his normal assignment, the Pentagon said.

The second case was identified Sunday. The soldier's was diagnosed with encephalitis, but since the he has ``markedly improved, is in good condition and is expected to be released from the hospital soon,'' the Pentagon said.

Encephalitis can cause paralysis or permanent neurological damage. Symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting and drowsiness. Based on studies from the 1960s, one person out of every 300,000 vaccinated are expected to come down with this condition.

[Mulder]

A sad thing about this vaccine is that it doesn't work and makes one more susceptable to the disease. This is not junk science or hogwash, it is historical fact.

I seem to recall a thread here along those lines. It made a compelling argument to back up what you're saying.

It would be great if we could simply trust the gov't to tell us the truth about vaccines, but they have a piss-poor track record when it comes to the medical care of servicemen (Agent Orange, Gulf War Syndrome, Nuclear testing in the 50s, Tuskegee Experiments, etc....)

[Alpha One]

Is there a shot to prevent stupid?

I wish there were. Nice job at the Frozen Chosin BTW.

[FairOpinion]

"suffered a potentially serious skin reaction"
---

A sking reaction! Wow, that's real front page news!!

From Washington Post article of Jan. 13, 2003:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A40356-2003Jan10&notFound=true


"From 1942 to 1990, when smallpox inoculations ceased for military personnel, the armed forces did not record a single fatality from the vaccine, records reviewed by The Washington Post show. The overall incidence of adverse reactions was so low that the military program continued years after experts counseled that there was no longer a reason to vaccinate, since smallpox had been eradicated worldwide.

Information on the military's experience in published materials and internal military documents from the 1960s through the 1980s comprises the only known body of evidence describing the effects of the U.S. vaccine in a large population over a long period of time.

The armed forces vaccine was made from the same strain of vaccinia virus, a cousin of the smallpox virus, that the government plans to use in the coming months to immunize as many as 11 million police officers, firefighters and medical workers who may be called upon to deal with a biological warfare attack."

[Alpha One]

It would be great if we could simply trust the gov't to tell us the truth about vaccines, but they have a piss-poor track record when it comes to the medical care of servicemen (Agent Orange, Gulf War Syndrome, Nuclear testing in the 50s, Tuskegee Experiments, etc....)

Unfortunetly, you are quite correct in all that.

[Alpha One]

Do you even understand the basics of immunology?

Have you ever seen that the smallpox vaccine was a fraud from square one?

[Sabertooth]

Hello, FormerFormerLurker. Still posting your anti-vaccine drivel from more than a century ago, and attempting to instigate a menace to public health, I see.

Here's your last post as FormerLurker:

---

To: hellinahandcart

Waaah! Waaah!
Just ping the Admin a few more times. That should get his/her attention.

It was your buddy Sabertooth that pinged the Admin. I simply responded in kind...

People had thicker skins when I first signed up here.

Same here. Now it's difficult to discuss anything, as someone like Sabertooth will come along, disrupt a thread, then cry to the admin....

58 posted on 12/22/2002 12:53 PM PST by FormerLurker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]

---

LINK

December 22nd, 2002. Here's the sign-up date on your new profile page...

Alpha One signed up 2002-12-23.
LINK

Banned on December 22nd, and a new account on the 23rd. What a coincidence!

This is not the most effective way to set up a sleeper account, FFL.

Here's the antidote for your nonsense:

QuackwatchSM Your Guide to Health Fraud, Quackery, and Intelligent Decisions   Operated by Stephen Barrett, M.D   If you write, please mention how you found this Web site.

Misconceptions about Immunization

Introduction

Immunizations should be part of routine health care obtained through one's personal physician (or in some instances, through one's local health department). Long-lasting protection is available against measles, mumps, German measles (rubella), poliomyelitis, tetanus (lockjaw), whooping cough (pertussis), diphtheria, chickenpox (varicella), Hemophilus influenzae b (Hib), and hepatitis B. Immunization against all of these is recommended for children by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Practice, and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

All states now require proof of immunization or other evidence of immunity against some of these diseases for admission to school. However, the requirements vary from state to state, and exemptions may be granted for medical, moral, or religious reasons.

Immunization is also important for adults. Those unprotected against any of the above diseases (except whooping cough) should consult their physicians. Tetanus boosters should be administered every ten years. Flu shots (which give only seasonal protection) and immunization against pneumococcal pneumonia are recommended for high-risk patients, elderly individuals, and certain institutional populations.

The success of vaccination programs in the United States and Europe inspired the 20th-century concept of "disease eradication" -- the idea that a selected disease can be eradicated from all human populations through global cooperation. In 1977, after a decade-long campaign involving 33 countries, smallpox was eradicated worldwide. Polio caused by wild virus has been eradicated from the Western Hemisphere; childhood vaccination levels in the United States are at an all-time high; and disease and death from diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) are at or near record lows. In April 1999, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control issued a fact sheet with some interesting statistics about the impact of vaccination on childhood diseases.

• Average annual number of smallpox cases in 1900-1904: 48,164.
  United States cases per year since 1950: 0.
  Worldwide cases per year since 1977: 0.
• Average annual number of diphtheria cases in the U.S. in 1920-1922: 175,885.
  U.S. cases in 1998: 1.
• Average annual number of pertussis cases in 1922-1925: 147,271.
  U.S. cases in 1998: 6,279.
• Estimated average annual number of tetanus cases in 1922-1926: 1,314.
  U.S. cases in 1998: 34.
• Average annual number of paralytic polio cases in 1951-1954: 16,316.
  U.S. cases of wild type poliovirus in 1998: 0.
• Average annual number of measles cases in 1958-1962: 503,282.
  U.S. cases in 1998: 89.
• The number of mumps cases in 1968: 152,209.
  U.S. cases in 1998: 606.
• Average annual number of rubella cases in 1966-1968: 47,745.
  U.S. cases in 1998: 345.
• Estimated average annual number of cases of congenital rubella syndrome in 1966-1968: 823.
  U.S. cases in 1998: 5.
• Estimated average annual number of Hib cases before vaccine licensure: 20,000.
  U.S. cases in 1998: 54.

Common Misconceptions

At least ten misconceptions can lead parents to question the wisdom of immunizing their children. If you encounter others you would like Quackwatch to address, please contact us.

• Misconception #1: because of better hygiene and sanitation, diseases had already begun to disappear before vaccines were introduced.
• Misconception #2: The majority of people who get the disease have been immunized.
• Misconception #3: There are hot lots of vaccine that have been associated with more adverse events and deaths than others. Parents should find the numbers of these lots and not allow their children to receive vaccines from them.
• Misconception #4: Vaccines cause many harmful side effects, and even death -- and may cause long-term effects we don't even know about.
• Misconception #5: DTP vaccine causes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
• Misconception #6: Vaccine-preventable diseases have been virtually eliminated from the United States, so there is no need for my child to be vaccinated.
• Misconception #7: Giving a child more than one vaccine at a time increases the risk of harmful side effects and can overload the immune system.
• Misconception #8: There is no good reason to immunize against chickenpox (varicella) because it is a harmless disease
• Misconception #9: Vaccines cause autism.
• Misconception #10. Hepatitis B vaccine causes chronic health problems, including multiple sclerosis.
• Misconception #11. Thimerosal Causes Autism

Opposition by Chiropractors and Naturopaths

Large percentages of chiropractors and naturopaths advise parents not to immunize their children. These actions are irresponsible and can cause serious harm both to patients and to our society as a whole.

For Additional Information

• U.S. Centers for Disease Control
  • National Immunization Program offers answers to common questions.
  • CDC Information Hotline: (800) 323-2522.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics answers common questions and provides its recommended childhood immunization schedule.
• Health Canada: Laboratory Center for Disease Control
• The Immunization Action Coalition, whose mission is to increase immunization rates, offers childhood and adult immunization information and answers questions by email.
• The Immunization Gateway: Links to many other authoritative sites.
• Immunization Newsbriefs: Online and e-mail newsletter from the National Network for Immunization Infoirmation
• The Vaccine Page: Vaccine news and a database
• Healthy People 2010: Surgeon General's goals for immunization
• Immunization: The Inconvenient Facts: A science-based response to Viera Scheibner.
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: Jordan Report 2000: Accelerated Development of Vaccines
• National Network for Immunization Information
• Vaccine Education Center (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia)

Quackwatch Home Page

This page was revised on April 20, 2002.


Quackwatch Immunization Thread Here

[PokeyJoe]

Actually, state laws generally provide for exemptions from immunization because of sincerely held relgious beliefs. Such provisions, however, have no force in a declared national emergency (ie: smallpox pandemic).

[Pushi]

This whole thing is a bunch of $hit. When I was a kid, everyone took a smallpox vaccination. I never knew of a single person dying. My reaction was severe, but I lived with it.

[uncbob]

Just make sure if you get vaccinated to don't go near anybody on chemotherapy or if you are on it don't go near people who have been vaccinated.
This wasn't a problem back in the old days

[realpatriot71]

Have you ever seen that the smallpox vaccine was a fraud from square one?

Yeah, all those people with pox . . . all one big conspiracy spanning thousands of years culminating now

That exactly how it happened, yeppers . . .

[Poohbah]

Well, lookee here...

Didja ping the AM? Or are you going to leave FFL to do that again?

[Pushi]

Didn't read your article because if it says that the vaccine did not eliminate smallpox, it is wrong.

[Rome2000]

In a related story, AP is reporting that the Sun will rise tomorrow.

[Jim Noble]

>>Is there a shot to prevent stupid?<<

Smallpox, if God forbid it comes, will take care of the problem.

Most of these guys were banned in December, but looks like they're back.

[sweetliberty]

Nice catch toothy! Thanks for the ping.

[Indy Pendance]

Old geezer, old geezer? hey! I'm only in my early 40's. I'm not knocking on death's door........yet. I don't even equate myself to the baby boomers. I didn't know what woodstock was until I was 18 or 19 years old. Sheesh, I'm right up there with J.Lo.

hahahahahahhaha

[woofie]

I think you are correct...

[Indy Pendance]

"And in other breaking news, one soldier had a serious hangover after a night on leave. Authorities are investigating."

Oh noooooo! Bet it was caused by smoking or an SUV.

[Alpha One]

Are you a psychopath? I've heard of FormerLurker, and may have followed some of his/her posts, but what exactly is your problem?

[blam]

"I do not understand the worry about the vaccination. EVERY CHILD had to be immunized before entering first grade in my state, Indiana."

Yup. Same in Alabama. I still have my scar.