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Terror By Smallpox; Vaccination Plans

Aired September 23, 2002 - 13:12   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Smallpox has not been seen in the U.S. for decades. Still, there is still concern about the use of the deadly disease for bioterrorism. As a precaution, federal officials are sending all 50 states detailed guidelines on how to vaccinate against a smallpox outbreak.
CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now live with more.

But you can't get it now, right?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You can't get it now, right.

PHILLIPS: OK.

COHEN: This is a mass vaccination plan, which is really hard to say -- a mass vaccination plan in the event -- and this is the important part -- in the event that there were to be a smallpox outbreak. This is the CDC explaining to states, counties and local health departments here is how you would begin doing a mass vaccination if we had to.

Now, you might wonder, why would you wait for an outbreak to do a vaccination? That seems backwards. Why not do the vaccination first just in case a terrorist uses smallpox as a weapon? And the answer is that the smallpox vaccine can be deadly. If they vaccinated the entire U.S. population right now, 300 to 350 people would die. So, they only want to do this in the event that they really need to.

PHILLIPS: Would it take one case of smallpox, 5, 10, 20, before this would happen?

COHEN: Well, the CDC just had a telephone press conference, and reporters were really hounding them, well, when do you put this plan into effect. Just what Kyra just said, one case, two cases? How do you know?

And they basically said you know what? We don't know. There has never been a bioterrorism event with smallpox. We will have to wait and see. There might be just one case, and maybe we wouldn't do mass vaccinations. We might -- you know, it all depends. They sort of gave them wiggle room.

I'll quote from the report. It says: "Following a confirmed smallpox outbreak within the U.S., rapid voluntary vaccination of a large population may be required." So, that "may" obviously gives them lots of space there, and they would have to see the nature of the outbreak -- how large it was, how much it was spreading from person to person -- all of those factors.

PHILLIPS: All right, you point out voluntary. Could it be required?

COHEN: Well, yes, they are saying right now "voluntary vaccination program."

The CDC says they have the police power to do what they need to do to protect the public health. But they said you know what? We don't think we would have to require it of people, because once you tell people that smallpox kills 30 percent of those that it infects, you don't have to require it. They expect that people would line up for this vaccine, once they heard that.

PHILLIPS: Well, is there enough vaccine to get everyone in the U.S.?

COHEN: Right now, no, there isn't. I mean, there are about 288 million Americans. There is only vaccine for 155 million. They expect to have enough vaccine for everyone by the end of the year.

PHILLIPS: All right, Elizabeth Cohen, thank you.

COHEN: OK, thanks.

PHILLIPS: A little scary, I guess.

COHEN: A little scary...

PHILLIPS: Yes.

COHEN: ... but if it doesn't happen, then it's not scary, right?

PHILLIPS: Yes, that's true.

COHEN: I mean, look at it as half-full, half-empty.

PHILLIPS: Yes, a positive outlook. All right, thank you.

COHEN: Thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.






Aired September 23, 2002 - 13:12   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Smallpox has not been seen in the U.S. for decades. Still, there is still concern about the use of the deadly disease for bioterrorism. As a precaution, federal officials are sending all 50 states detailed guidelines on how to vaccinate against a smallpox outbreak.
CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now live with more.

But you can't get it now, right?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You can't get it now, right.

PHILLIPS: OK.

COHEN: This is a mass vaccination plan, which is really hard to say -- a mass vaccination plan in the event -- and this is the important part -- in the event that there were to be a smallpox outbreak. This is the CDC explaining to states, counties and local health departments here is how you would begin doing a mass vaccination if we had to.

Now, you might wonder, why would you wait for an outbreak to do a vaccination? That seems backwards. Why not do the vaccination first just in case a terrorist uses smallpox as a weapon? And the answer is that the smallpox vaccine can be deadly. If they vaccinated the entire U.S. population right now, 300 to 350 people would die. So, they only want to do this in the event that they really need to.

PHILLIPS: Would it take one case of smallpox, 5, 10, 20, before this would happen?

COHEN: Well, the CDC just had a telephone press conference, and reporters were really hounding them, well, when do you put this plan into effect. Just what Kyra just said, one case, two cases? How do you know?

And they basically said you know what? We don't know. There has never been a bioterrorism event with smallpox. We will have to wait and see. There might be just one case, and maybe we wouldn't do mass vaccinations. We might -- you know, it all depends. They sort of gave them wiggle room.

I'll quote from the report. It says: "Following a confirmed smallpox outbreak within the U.S., rapid voluntary vaccination of a large population may be required." So, that "may" obviously gives them lots of space there, and they would have to see the nature of the outbreak -- how large it was, how much it was spreading from person to person -- all of those factors.

PHILLIPS: All right, you point out voluntary. Could it be required?

COHEN: Well, yes, they are saying right now "voluntary vaccination program."

The CDC says they have the police power to do what they need to do to protect the public health. But they said you know what? We don't think we would have to require it of people, because once you tell people that smallpox kills 30 percent of those that it infects, you don't have to require it. They expect that people would line up for this vaccine, once they heard that.

PHILLIPS: Well, is there enough vaccine to get everyone in the U.S.?

COHEN: Right now, no, there isn't. I mean, there are about 288 million Americans. There is only vaccine for 155 million. They expect to have enough vaccine for everyone by the end of the year.

PHILLIPS: All right, Elizabeth Cohen, thank you.

COHEN: OK, thanks.

PHILLIPS: A little scary, I guess.

COHEN: A little scary...

PHILLIPS: Yes.

COHEN: ... but if it doesn't happen, then it's not scary, right?

PHILLIPS: Yes, that's true.

COHEN: I mean, look at it as half-full, half-empty.

PHILLIPS: Yes, a positive outlook. All right, thank you.

COHEN: Thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.