Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Saturday Morning News
White House Reviews Options for Smallpox Attack
Aired October 05, 2002 - 09:20 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The White House is reviewing its options in the event of a terrorist attack with a biological weapon like smallpox.
As CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen explains, it raises some difficult issues.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One option being considered for smallpox immunizations before an outbreak is voluntary vaccinations for all Americans. But public health officials have concerns.
DR. JULIE GERBERDING, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL: We certainly do not recommend vaccines be made available for the general public, because right now we don't have information to suggest that overall the benefits of that approach would outweigh the risks to those people from the serious effects of the vaccine.
COHEN: The decision is complicated because the vaccine can be dangerous.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: You wind up with a number somewhere between, you know, 30 to 50 or more million people in the country who have some condition that you'd be concerned about vaccinating them.
COHEN: That includes people with skin problems like eczema or HIV or those being treated for cancer.
GERBERDING: About 15 people will experience a life-threatening complication for every million people that we vaccinate, and one to two people will die.
COHEN: So starting on a smaller scale with some first responders, like police, fire, and hospital workers, is a more manageable option.
GERBERDING: We don't think we would be talking about more than 500,000 people in that first category of the emergency responders. If we wanted to include all responders in the effort, that would be up to 10 million people.
COHEN: The president's decision on who should get the vaccine involves more than just his health advisers' options. FAUCI: It is not only a public health decision but is also a decision of national security.
COHEN: One of the biggest hurdles is whether or not the existing supplies of the vaccine are in good shape. The FDA must still approve batches made in the 1950s and '70s. That could take until early 2004. But if an attack happened tomorrow, officials say, the existing vaccine could be diluted enough to cover all Americans.
Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 October 5, 2002 - 09:20 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The White House is reviewing its options in the event of a terrorist attack with a biological weapon like smallpox.
As CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen explains, it raises some difficult issues.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One option being considered for smallpox immunizations before an outbreak is voluntary vaccinations for all Americans. But public health officials have concerns.
DR. JULIE GERBERDING, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL: We certainly do not recommend vaccines be made available for the general public, because right now we don't have information to suggest that overall the benefits of that approach would outweigh the risks to those people from the serious effects of the vaccine.
COHEN: The decision is complicated because the vaccine can be dangerous.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: You wind up with a number somewhere between, you know, 30 to 50 or more million people in the country who have some condition that you'd be concerned about vaccinating them.
COHEN: That includes people with skin problems like eczema or HIV or those being treated for cancer.
GERBERDING: About 15 people will experience a life-threatening complication for every million people that we vaccinate, and one to two people will die.
COHEN: So starting on a smaller scale with some first responders, like police, fire, and hospital workers, is a more manageable option.
GERBERDING: We don't think we would be talking about more than 500,000 people in that first category of the emergency responders. If we wanted to include all responders in the effort, that would be up to 10 million people.
COHEN: The president's decision on who should get the vaccine involves more than just his health advisers' options. FAUCI: It is not only a public health decision but is also a decision of national security.
COHEN: One of the biggest hurdles is whether or not the existing supplies of the vaccine are in good shape. The FDA must still approve batches made in the 1950s and '70s. That could take until early 2004. But if an attack happened tomorrow, officials say, the existing vaccine could be diluted enough to cover all Americans.
Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
