Vaccine Program Going Well, Military Reports

Even the military, with all its built-in efficiencies, has had some problems with its vaccination program. Tens of thousands of military personnel have experienced fever, malaise and swollen lymph nodes after being vaccinated, and "there has been a rash of rashes," Grabenstein said, about 12 for every 1,000 people inoculated. Almost all are harmless, but as many as seven people have developed what may be generalized vaccinia, a systemic spread of the vaccine's live vaccinia virus in lesions over the body, he said.

In addition, two soldiers were hospitalized with encephalitis, a serious inflammation of the brain, and an airman developed myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart.

But even these severe cases "have had a full recovery and are not slowing down the military vaccination program," Grabenstein said.

Almost two-thirds of the military personnel inoculated were getting the smallpox vaccine for the first time. Grabenstein said their low rate of serious side effects shows that the vaccine is safe for people born after the United States stopped routine inoculations of children in 1972.

Public health officials from Georgia and New Jersey told committee members that the demands of the smallpox program have detracted from other bioterrorism efforts, as well as traditional public health activities.

But Dr. Eddy Bresnitz, state epidemiologist of New Jersey, where 98 health-care workers had been vaccinated by Tuesday, said he was pleased with his program's progress.

"Clearly, we have the capability now of responding" to a smallpox epidemic now, he said.

The Institute of Medicine is part of the National Academies, which were created by Congress to provide advice to the government on scientific matters.

In related action Thursday, Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Los Angeles) introduced legislation to establish a no-fault compensation program for anyone injured by the smallpox vaccine. Waxman's bill would also give states federal grants to help meet costs of the program.