Spring Break
Smallpox vaccine receives modern twist
Stephanie Lyons, Daily Vidette Staff
Issue date: 3/18/08 Section: News
A new smallpox vaccine offers modern day protection against the disease in the case of an outbreak or bio-terrorist attack.
The former smallpox vaccine, Dryvax, is being disposed of because the license has expired with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"It has nothing to do with safety, purity or quality concerns with the vaccine," Bree Davis, public health communication specialist, said.
ACAM2000 will be the new smallpox vaccine used. The Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine, manufactured by Acambis Inc., last year.
"We manufactured doses of it…about 195 million doses which are there in case smallpox ever reemerges," Lyndsay Wright, vice-president of communications and investor relations for Acambis Inc., said.
Facilities that still used Dryvax were told to get rid of the vaccine after February 29.
"They are suggesting that people that have the vaccine on site destroy it there…with a procedure to follow," Davis said.
Davis said the concern about smallpox involves the remaining remnants of the disease. They could be used in bio-terrorism attacks.
"That's why we see lab professionals, military and public health preparedness program personnel being vaccinated against it," Davis said.
The new drug, ACAM200, differs from Dryvax because it is not produced by scraping off the virus from infected calves.
"That was a method that is clearly no longer acceptable today," Wright said.
Heart related complications are said to be an effect of smallpox vaccines with both Dryvax and ACAM2000. Certain groups of people are said to be excluded from receiving the vaccine.
"Whenever they use the vaccine they use it extremely carefully…There is a lot of monitoring that goes along with vaccinating someone with the vaccine," Wright said.
Since 1971, the routine vaccination of individuals with the smallpox vaccine has not been necessary.
"It is the only disease that has been eradicated [in the United States]. So there are no naturally occurring cases of smallpox anymore," Davis said.
Wright said the United States government stated in its policy that there is enough vaccine available for every man, woman and child if smallpox was to reemerge.
"Essentially, between the 195 million doses we have done and the doses already in the stockpile, they previously stated they have enough vaccine to protect the population if there were an outbreak," Wright said.
Symptoms of smallpox may include fever in conjunction with head and body aches. Small red spots begin to show up on the body and turn into sores, according to Davis.
A person who is infected with smallpox is contagious to others until all body scabs have fallen off.
The former smallpox vaccine, Dryvax, is being disposed of because the license has expired with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"It has nothing to do with safety, purity or quality concerns with the vaccine," Bree Davis, public health communication specialist, said.
ACAM2000 will be the new smallpox vaccine used. The Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine, manufactured by Acambis Inc., last year.
"We manufactured doses of it…about 195 million doses which are there in case smallpox ever reemerges," Lyndsay Wright, vice-president of communications and investor relations for Acambis Inc., said.
Facilities that still used Dryvax were told to get rid of the vaccine after February 29.
"They are suggesting that people that have the vaccine on site destroy it there…with a procedure to follow," Davis said.
Davis said the concern about smallpox involves the remaining remnants of the disease. They could be used in bio-terrorism attacks.
"That's why we see lab professionals, military and public health preparedness program personnel being vaccinated against it," Davis said.
The new drug, ACAM200, differs from Dryvax because it is not produced by scraping off the virus from infected calves.
"That was a method that is clearly no longer acceptable today," Wright said.
Heart related complications are said to be an effect of smallpox vaccines with both Dryvax and ACAM2000. Certain groups of people are said to be excluded from receiving the vaccine.
"Whenever they use the vaccine they use it extremely carefully…There is a lot of monitoring that goes along with vaccinating someone with the vaccine," Wright said.
Since 1971, the routine vaccination of individuals with the smallpox vaccine has not been necessary.
"It is the only disease that has been eradicated [in the United States]. So there are no naturally occurring cases of smallpox anymore," Davis said.
Wright said the United States government stated in its policy that there is enough vaccine available for every man, woman and child if smallpox was to reemerge.
"Essentially, between the 195 million doses we have done and the doses already in the stockpile, they previously stated they have enough vaccine to protect the population if there were an outbreak," Wright said.
Symptoms of smallpox may include fever in conjunction with head and body aches. Small red spots begin to show up on the body and turn into sores, according to Davis.
A person who is infected with smallpox is contagious to others until all body scabs have fallen off.
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