Posted on 02/17/2003 4:56:45 PM PST by summer
FLORIDA'S SMALLPOX VACCINATIONS PROCEEDING WELL
-- 503 individuals in our state vaccinated as of 12 a.m. EST February 11--
TALLAHASSEE- Officials from the Florida Department of Health (DOH) today reported that the beginning of Stage 1 of Operation Vaccinate Florida is proceeding well. As of 12 a.m. EST on February 11, 503 public health staff were reported as being vaccinated. One individual had a mild allergic reaction to the vaccine, was treated and released, and has had no further complications.
"First and foremost, I am happy to report that our colleague who suffered a mild allergic reaction to the vaccine is doing fine and ready for a rapid return to normal activities," said DOH Secretary John O. Agwunobi, M.D., M.B.A. "This event has already provided us with a real-life test of our adverse event management process, which includes doctors at our county health departments (CHDs), hospitals, state health office and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
"We have entered a new era, where public health plays a key role in domestic security. As we adapt to this role, we must find a balance between the public's need to know and the need to protect information for the good of domestic security. After consulting with our domestic security partners, we have decided to release statewide vaccination numbers two times per week, while continuing to protect information related to vaccination sites and specific regional numbers. [said DOH Secretary John O. Agwunobi, M.D., M.B.A.].
"I want to publicly commend the dedication of our DOH employees here in Tallahassee and in the county health departments throughout our state. They have once again risen to the challenge, displaying their commitment to protecting the health and safety of Florida's residents and visitors. The vaccination teams they are creating will protect thousands more through Stage 1 and Stage 2, and provide us with the resources to ensure the protection of our entire state should the need arise."
The last two days of vaccinations marked the start of Stage 1 of Operation Vaccinate Florida. During this stage, smallpox vaccinations will be provided to smallpox response teams throughout the state. The first step will be to create vaccination teams drawn principally from Florida Department of Health (DOH) public health staff. This will be the focus of the first two weeks of Operation Vaccinate Florida. Once these DOH vaccination teams have been established, they will vaccinate larger groups over the remainder of Stage 1. These groups are drawn from hospitals throughout the state. Hospitals that participate will be better prepared in the event of an outbreak. This first stage of smallpox vaccinations is expected to last approximately 30 to 60 days.
Vaccination is done with a live virus called "vaccinia" and is widely effective in giving immunity against smallpox. Vaccinia is not smallpox itself and there is no risk of reintroducing smallpox this way. There are, however, risks associated with vaccination, affecting approximately 50 people of every million vaccinated. To mitigate risks, a number of measures are in place, including a detailed screening of vaccination candidates.
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