Federal study will try smaller dose of smallpox vaccine to stretch supply

Bethesda, Maryland-AP -- Researchers across the country will study to see if the nation's short supply of smallpox vaccine could be diluted to make it stretch further in case of an emergency.

Fresh batches on order aren't expected to be ready until next summer.

Routine smallpox vaccinations ended in the U-S in 1972 because it was no longer considered a threat. Most people vaccinated before 1972 have lost their resistance to the virus.

There is no treatment for smallpox. Experts fear smallpox manufactured by the Soviet Union in the 1980's may be in the hands of rogue nations who could use it as a weapon.

Scientists say that diluting the country's supply of 15-point-four (m) million doses stored in secret locations could be an effective stop-gap until new doses are available.

http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=507281&nav=4QcS4R2559GV

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), October 13, 2001

Answers

This idea has been floated for a few years now, at least; hard to prove (I believe the experiments involve human volunteers being vaccinated with various dilutions of the remaining vaccinia, then tested for antibody response). It's plausible it would work, especially in persons who were previously immunized and therefore might have some small lingering immunity.

-- Andre Weltman (aweltman@state.pa.us), October 14, 2001.