Jump to content

Smallpox Risk, Vaccinated Doctors Studied


Recommended Posts

  • Chief Cushie

Smallpox Risk, Vaccinated Doctors Studied

 

By LINDSEY TANNER

.c The Associated Press

 

CHICAGO (AP) - More than half of all New York state hospital patients may face an increased risk of complications from contact with smallpox-vaccinated health care workers, a study suggests.

 

With the voluntary vaccination of health care workers under way nationwide, the study's results underscore the need for strict adherence to safety guidelines, the researchers said.

 

The federal Centers of Disease Control and Prevention recommends daily inspection and bandaging of the vaccine site, meticulous hand-washing after contact and administrative leave if vaccination-related complications develop.

 

``Successful implementation of this policy will require the complete cooperation of every vaccinated health-care worker to avoid complications among vulnerable hospital patients,'' said the study by Dr. Perry Smith and Hwa-Gan Chang of New York's health department and Dr. Kent Sepkowitz of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

 

The study appears in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.

 

The smallpox vaccine is made with a live virus called vaccinia that can infect those who come into contact with people who have been vaccinated. Such infections are called contact vaccinia.

 

The CDC says no doctor-to-patient cases have been reported in the voluntary program in which more than 21,000 health care workers have been vaccinated since January.

 

The researchers examined data on 2.4 million patients discharged from New York hospitals in 2001; about 1.3 million of them had conditions that may put them at increased risk for contact vaccinia.

 

Those at increased risk include: newborns; patients with immune system diseases; those with skin conditions including eczema; and cancer patients and others on immune-suppressing medication.

 

The CDC has estimated that between 15 percent and 18 percent of the general population has an at-risk condition. The percentage among hospitalized patients naturally would be higher.

 

CDC immunization specialist Dr. Walter Orenstein said the risk of doctor-to-patient transmission is very small if precautions are taken.

 

On the Net:

 

JAMA: http://jama.ama-assn.org

 

CDC: http://www.cdc.gov

 

 

03/25/03 16:33 EST

   

Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.  All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...