Smallpox Vaccinations

What Parents Need to Know

By Heather V. Long

The first federal shipments of smallpox vaccine began arriving at state health departments the week of January 29, 2003. But the vaccine appears to be getting only a lukewarm reception.

"I support the recommendation for pre-event immunization on a voluntary basis for healthcare workers on the first response team," says Dr. Ed Septimus, medical director for the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System in Houston, Texas. "Currently, I reserve judgment on immunizing the public in 2004 until more information is available on the real potential for a biological event using smallpox. The side effects from the vaccine may outweigh the benefits for the general public."

"I really think they should never have stopped issuing [the vaccine] in 1972," says Teresa Widemire of Painesville, Ohio, mother of six children and grandmother of two. "If they had kept up with this sort of thing maybe we wouldn't be living in fear. I am a little worried now, as they are telling us all of the side effects and possible death that may happen."

Jessica Durbin, a mother of one in Streator, Ill., says she's worried. "I'm afraid of the side effects and the percentages they give of people who will be harmed by it," she says. "In 2004, I'll hopefully be pregnant. They say pregnant women shouldn't be around those who are newly immunized, so my worry would be about how true that is. I mean, what if I'm around people who have the shot at the grocery store or something? I doubt I will opt for the immunization for any of my family unless something drastic happens before then."

Pamela Kock is a mother of two in Cincinnati, Ohio. "I feel like we are missing a great deal of information," she says. "Most people are not going to read the CDC Web site or do research elsewhere on the subject; they are only going to rely on their doctor for information. Today's doctors know next to nothing about smallpox. There is a lot of misinformation being circulated, and even reading the CDC site doesn't answer many of my own questions. One thing I am not sure of is whether or not one can contract smallpox from someone who has recently been vaccinated against it. If it is possible, then not only will everyone need a vaccination – simply because some people will get them – but great numbers of immune-compromised people will be in big trouble."

Want to see more?

• Vaccinations and Your Preschooler
• Immunization Schedule
• A Need for Needles?
• Talk about it!