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Questions and
answers:
How
likely is the threat of a smallpox outbreak?
Who
will be getting Smallpox vaccine?
Will
anyone else be getting the vaccine?
Will
we have to get the vaccine?
Is
there anyone who shouldn't get this vaccine?
Why
shouldn't they get the vaccine?
Would
they ever get the vaccine?
Should
previously vaccinated individuals receive the vaccine?
Can
I get the vaccine for my child?
How
likely is the threat of a smallpox outbreak?
The risk of an
outbreak is very, very small, but the consequences would be great. That
is why a preliminary vaccination program will be occurring sometime
in 2004.
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Who
will be getting Smallpox vaccine?
At this time, only
selected healthcare and public health workers will be receiving the
vaccine. The plan is to protect the medical and public health personnel
who would need to act to control spread of disease and provide care
to patients in the unlikely event of a smallpox outbreak.
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Will
anyone else be getting the vaccine?
At this time the
Utah Department of Health as well as other public health authorities
do not advise that members of the general public receive the vaccine.
The vaccine will probably be available to the general public in 2004.
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Will
we have to get the vaccine?
The vaccine is
voluntary. No one will ever be forced to receive this vaccine
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Is
there anyone who shouldn't get this vaccine?
YES! The vaccine
has some serious side effects. Two people out of every million vaccinated
may die from side effects of the vaccine. Another 14-52 out of that
million will suffer from serious, life-threatening complications.
Some people are
more likely to have side effects than others. Individuals on the following
list should not receive the smallpox vaccine:
- expectant mothers
or anyone living with an expectant mother;
- women who plan
to become pregnant within one month after vaccination or anyone living
with a woman who is planning to become pregnant within one month after
vaccination;
- women who are
breastfeeding;
- individuals
with immunosuppression, such as people undergoing chemotherapy, an
organ transplant, or people living with AIDS or HIV infection;
- individuals
with a prior or current case of eczema or atopic dermatitis (a condition
usually diagnosed as a child) or living with someone with any of these
conditions;
- individuals
allergic to a previous vaccine or antibiotics in the vaccine, such
as tetracycline;
- children under
18 years of age.
In addition, individuals
with a moderate or severe short-term illness (like influenza) or a skin
rash due to allergies, or eruptive acne, should wait until these resolve
before getting the vaccine.
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Why
shouldn't they get the vaccine?
These individuals
are at greater risk of serious side effects. Since there are no cases
of smallpox in the world at this time, there is no reason to vaccinate
people at higher risk of complications.
Women who are pregnant
and receive the vaccine are at risk for miscarriage or stillbirth (fetal
death after twenty weeks of pregnancy). If you have been asked to receive
the vaccine and are not sure if you are pregnant, you should receive
a pregnancy test before being vaccinated. Also, if you have been vaccinated,
you should use an effective birth control for one month after you are
vaccinated to avoid becoming pregnant.
If you are breastfeeding,
you should not receive the vaccine. The close physical contact that
occurs during breast-feeding increases your chance of accidentally transferring
the virus from your vaccination site to your baby. Small children are
at higher risk of serious side effects from the vaccine.
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Would
they ever get the vaccine?
Yes! Should an
outbreak of smallpox occur, people who are direct contacts of smallpox
cases would be encouraged to receive the vaccine, even if they have
a contraindication mentioned above. The risk of smallpox is greater
than the risk of the vaccine.
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Should
previously vaccinated individuals receive the vaccine?
Previously vaccinated
individuals likely have very little immunity to smallpox. Once the vaccine
is available for the general public, individuals wishing to reduce the
possibility of contracting smallpox should consider vaccination. This
includes previously vaccinated individuals.
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Can
I get the vaccine for my child?
At this time, no
one under the age of 18 is being vaccinated. There is a slightly higher
rate of serious side effects for children with this vaccine. Since smallpox
is not present in the world at this time, there is no reason to risk
these side effects.
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