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CNN Live Saturday

Researchers Prepare for Smallpox Attack

Aired November 03, 2001 - 15:44   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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: While the nation's attention is focused anthrax and attacks using anthrax, doctors are busy behind the scenes preparing for other possible biological attacks. Here's CNN's Rhonda Rowland.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How are you doing?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm great.

RHONDA ROWLAND, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 26-year- old Alison Hayes is the first person in the United States to be vaccinated against smallpox in a critical new study, a study designed to see if America's precious stockpile of smallpox vaccine can be stretched.

Just 15 million doses of the freeze-dried vaccine exist today, not nearly enough to deal with a large outbreak of smallpox. The question is whether it can be diluted to make more doses and still protect people.

DR. SHARON FREY, LEAD INVESTIGATOR, ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY: We will look at vaccine that's undiluted as a control, and then we will dilute it five times, and then we will dilute it 10 times. And we will use those different strengths to vaccinate people to see how often they have a response or a take to the vaccine.

ROWLAND: Another lingering question, is the 25-year-old dry vaccine, last manufactured by Weiss Airs (ph) in 1981, still effective? It was answered in a small study of 60 people conducted earlier this year.

FREY: What we found was that the undiluted vaccine was just as good as ever.

ROWLAND: Researchers will know if the vaccine works or takes in an individual if a characteristic scab forms at the injection site after six to 10 days. Study volunteers must be between the ages of 18 and 32 and healthy, because the vaccine can cause serious complications, and even death. Routine childhood immunization against smallpox stopped in the U.S. in 1972. Over time, immunity wanes.

For Alison Hayes, it was an easy decision to participate in this study.

ALISON HAYES, STUDY VOLUNTEER: I guess by participating in this study it would help, hopefully, make the vaccination stretch so that we would have enough to give to everyone.

ROWLAND: Researchers hope to know within several months if the old smallpox vaccine stockpile can be safely diluted.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NIH: So that we can say, not only do we have 15 million, we might have 75 million or 150 million doses. That's something that's a very immediate partial solution to the problem of a shortage of the smallpox vaccine.

ROWLAND: The full solution is already in the works.

(on camera): Health officials are negotiating with vaccine makers right now to speed up a new second generation smallpox vaccine. By the end of next year, the government wants to have 300 million doses in its stockpile, enough for every man, woman and child in America if the smallpox vaccine is needed.

Rhonda Rowland, CNN, St. Louis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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