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County of Orange
Public Health Services |
Juliette A. Poulson, RN, MN Mark B. Horton, MD, MSPH Mailing Address: |
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For Immediate Release |
Contact: Howard Sutter |
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(Santa Ana) – Vaccination of Orange County Public Health response team members against smallpox will begin Thursday, March 13 as part of the nationwide program to protect the public from any potential outbreak of the disease. “Countywide, we expect as many as 500 people to participate in this first phase of the vaccination program,” said Mark B. Horton, M.D., Orange County Health Officer. “We will first vaccinate those who would be involved in the investigation of any potential case of smallpox, including nurses, physicians and laboratory personnel. These individuals have volunteered to respond to a smallpox outbreak and participate in this vaccination program for the public’s protection.” Over 800 Health Care Agency (HCA) employees have attended educational sessions to learn about smallpox and the vaccination program. After each session, staff members had the opportunity to volunteer for participation on the Public Health Response Teams. Each volunteer will be carefully screened to reduce the likelihood of an adverse reaction to the vaccine. After vaccination, they will be closely tracked to make sure the vaccine ‘takes’ and to document and manage any adverse reaction. The smallpox vaccine received from the California Department of Health Services will later be used to vaccinate hospital response team members. Since mid-December, HCA has been working with area hospitals to provide educational materials on smallpox and the risks and benefits of the smallpox vaccine. Hospitals that select not to participate in the pre-event vaccination program are encouraged to educate their staff about smallpox, increasing their ability to recognize any potential smallpox case. The smallpox vaccine is not recommended for the general public at this time. ### |
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