2003년 2월 27일, 미국에서 생 화학전을 대비하여 천연두 백신을 받았던 사람들 중에 3명에게서 부작용이 발생했다는 CDC의 보고서가 나왔습니다. 생명의 위협을 주는 부작용은 아니었지만, 백신 접종을 반대하는 목소리가 커질 것으로 생각됩니다.
39세 간호사의 경우에는 온몸에 붉은색 반점이 나타났으며, 이는 천연두 백신의 부작용으로 널리 알려져 있는 바라고 합니다.
60세 할아버지의 경우에는 흉통이 유발이 되었는데, 흔히 보는 천연두 백신의 부작용은 아니라고 합니다. 이 분은 고혈압이 있었던 경력이 있어왔다고 하는군요.
3번째 경우에는 급성 담낭염이 생겨서 수술까지 받게 되었다고 합니다. 급성 담낭염은 천연두 백신 부작용으로는 한번도 알려져 있지 않던 경우라 충격을 주고 있습니다.
물론 천연두 백신에 의해서 생긴 부작용인지 확인은 안되고 있지만 천연두 백신 접종을 10년 만에 다시 시작하는 경우기 때문에 모든 사소한 사항까지도 보고하게 되었다고 전문가는 말했다고 합니다.
과거 천연두 접종의 경우 100만 명 중 2명꼴로 사망자가 나왔고, 52명에서 심각한 질환을 유발했었다고 합니다.
이러한 천연두 백신 접종은 9.11 테러 이후 부터 시작이 되었고 지금까지 7354명 정도의 의료 봉사자가 백신 접종을 받은 것으로 알려져 있습니다.
미국은 앞으로 의료 봉사자 45만명에게 1차로 접종을 하고, 1000만명 의료 봉사자와 응급실에서 일하는 스태프 들에게 접종하는 것을 목표로 삼고 있다고 합니다.
* 1979년에 천연두 박멸이 선언이 되었기 때문에 지금 미국에서 사용하고 있는 천연두 백신은 오래된 것으로 알려져 있고, 실제로는 천연두 계열에 속해 있는 "바시니아"라는 바이러스라고 합니다.
-> 과연 변종 된 천연두가 발생하면 진짜 천연두 백신이 아닌 "바시나아" 백신이 제 역할을 할 수 있을지 의문 입니다.
U.S. Sees First Cases of Smallpox Shot Reactions
Thu Feb 27, 3:19 PM ET
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By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three people vaccinated against smallpox as part of U.S. preparations for a possible biological attack developed symptoms that could be an adverse reaction to the shots, health officials said on Thursday.
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None of the cases is life-threatening and two of them appear to be associated with other conditions, but health officials are scrutinizing any reactions from the program, which has run into considerable public resistance.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (news - web sites) said a 39-year-old woman, a nurse, developed a general rash that could be generalized vaccinia -- a skin infection caused by the vaccine -- and said a 60-year-old man developed chest pain.
Both lived in Florida, the CDC said.
The rash is a well-known side effect of the vaccine, while chest pain, or angina (news - web sites), is not, the CDC said. The chest pain patient had a history of high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease.
In addition, Florida health officials reported a third possible case. "The third individual appears to have suffered acute gallbladder inflammation resulting in removal of the gallbladder," the Florida Department of Health said.
Gallbladder troubles are not known to be a side-effect of smallpox shots.
"Although two of the individuals appear to have suffered ailments that have no previously known association with the smallpox vaccine, it has been several decades since individuals were vaccinated against smallpox, and we must therefore report on even the most unlikely associated clinical events," Florida Health Secretary Dr. John Agwunobi said.
The vaccine is generally safe but sometimes people can develop a reaction. When in general use, it was known to have killed one to two people per million vaccinated, and made up to 52 per million seriously ill.
The vaccination program was begun when after fears of possible terrorist incidents were raised after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.
The CDC's Dr. Eric Mast said the agency was erring on the side of caution in reporting illnesses in people vaccinated. "We have known from the outset that reactions will occur," Mast told a telephone briefing.
"We know that there will be a wide range of illnesses that are reported. We need to recognize that some of them may be caused by the vaccine and some may not be," Mast said, adding the CDC would investigate all reported adverse events.
Overall, 7,354 civilian health care and public health workers have been vaccinated against smallpox as part of the program. The U.S. Health and Human Services (news - web sites) Department hopes to eventually vaccinate 450,000 health care workers in the first round of the program.
These people will then be able to vaccinate up to 10 million more health and emergency workers and police in case it is needed.
But the month-old program is off to a very slow start. Unions have resisted the vaccination plan until issues over compensation of those who do get sick are resolved.
HHS and Congress are working on a plan to cover health workers who may lose time from work due to vaccine-related illness.
The smallpox vaccine is decades old, because smallpox was declared eradicated around the world in 1979. It uses a live virus called vaccinia, which is related to smallpox.
The man with chest pain was treated with angioplasty to clear a clogged artery. The woman's rash is healing, Mast said, and her pustules have been tested to see if they contain vaccinia virus.
He said she was not ill enough to have been hospitalized.