GI reacts badly to smallpox vaccine

The Commercial Appeal ^ | 1/31/03 | Laura Meckler/AP

[GailA]

GI reacts badly to smallpox vaccine

By Laura Meckler, The Associated Press February 1, 2003

WASHINGTON - 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 among 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 worldwide. 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.

[GailA]

What is the reaction rates to routine vaccinations that the military and children are given in comparision to that of the smallpox vaccination?

[aimhigh]

Considering how the bad anthrax reactions have been buried, I surprised to see this article. Thanks for the post.

[IncPen]

I had a discussion with my brother, an MD, about this.

As I understand it the morbidity rate is expected to be about 1 per million for the smallpox vaccine. Rates of reaction ranging from scarring to paralysis could number up to 40,000 or so.

By comparison, the flu vaccine has a morbidity rate of about 5 per million.

Also, as I understand it, the vaccine does not have to be given to every person to be effective. There's something called 'herd protection' which may help to contain an outbreak.

It's worth noting that a weaponized smallpox outbreak in one city would be devastating, but an effective outbreak in 6 cities could very well destroy the country. I know there are posters here who don't favor any vaccination at all, but when you think about people in essential positions unable to go to work, or any of us performing triage in our own homes... the prospect, it seems to me, outweighs the risk.

[GailA]

You notice it is in a local rag not a national one. I'm not surprised the Commie Appeaser used as they are anti-Bush.

[Free the USA]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[flamefront]

OK, but lets fairly evaluate the risks and not gloss over the facts.

This is a live vaccine, very unique.

Some might like to visit http://www.vaclib.org/ for their
Smallpox Alert

[flamefront]

OK, but lets fairly evaluate the risks and not gloss over the facts.

This is a live vaccine, very unique.

Some might like to visit http://www.vaclib.org/ for their
Smallpox Alert

[LadyDoc]

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/di52cha1.htm

Both these reactions are listed. Traditionally, there were a lot of reactions, mainly the first, i.e. spreading the virus on the skin. I don't have statistics, but they are quite high compared to most other vaccines. The traditional data may not be accurate for two reasons:

One, there is now treatment (anti viral medications and anti vaccinia immune globulin).

Second, we have a lot more people who are immune deficient due to HIV, anti cancer chemotherapy, dialysis, or taking immunosupressive medications (e.g. for rheumatoid arthritis).

[stevem]

Maybe I've missed a great deal of news on this subject, but I don't comprehend why this is so much worse that the smallpox vaccination I received when I was about 13. I developed a horrible itching sore that was quite large but confined to my upper arm. It lasted about three or four days. Then it healed.

Are these reactions markedly different that that?

If so, why?

Can't Merck or some other company go back and look up how they made the vaccine in thise days and repeat that process?

[GailA]

This is bothers me as I've got Fibro Myalgia which makes me more sensitive to fevers. A 100 degree temp and I'm in the bed with severe chills, body aches and sick at my stomach. I've a history of reacting to meds that have gastro-intestinal side effects.

Any advice for me regarding this?

[RJS1950]

This is all uncalled for bs. Anyone over 35 years old has probably had a smallpox vaccination when they were younger. I had one when I was a kid and again when I entered the military(this means many millions in this country have already been vaccinated at least once). Bad reactions are a possibility in any vaccination or shot received, but the rate of occurrence of bad reactions is very small indeed. My major in school was microbiology and included a lot of study of virology and immunology. I have thought for years that the idea of destroying the last frozen samples of smallpox was a bonehead idea. The idea that we had eliminated the virus completely was political thinking, not scientific common sense. While the anthrax bacilli is hard to make and disperse as a biological weapon, the small pox virus is not. Smallpox would kill millions in the long run if dispersed widely (as it did naturally in past centuries). If the vaccinations are offered, they should be taken without reservation, they have been proven over the last 100 years. Enough of the paranoia.