SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
FOR RELEASE: February 11, 2003
CONTACT: Barb Buhler
605-773-3361

Smallpox vaccination clinics scheduled for response team volunteers in Aberdeen, Sioux Falls, and Sturgis

     PIERRE – Smallpox vaccination will begin February 13 in Aberdeen, Sioux Falls, and Sturgis for public health and health care professionals who have volunteered to be response team members. 

     The state’s smallpox response plan calls for vaccinating volunteer public health and health care response teams that could respond to a smallpox outbreak. The department has already vaccinated 37 of its own staff members who will give vaccinations at the clinics. Vaccination clinics were held earlier this week in Mitchell, Pierre, Rapid City and Watertown and a clinic is scheduled for next week in Yankton. 

     At the request of participating hospitals, the clinics will be offered in three rounds to limit the number of staff that might be away from work at any one time. The clinics will be held at each site over three consecutive weeks. Vaccinations will not be offered to the general public at this time.

     Secretary of Health Doneen Hollingsworth emphasized that the vaccination campaign is a preventive measure. Having response teams in place and vaccinated ahead of time assures the state would be ready to take care of initial cases and to investigate and vaccinate their contacts in the event of a smallpox emergency.

     Procedure calls for each individual’s vaccination site to be evaluated seven days after the vaccine is given to monitor for adverse events and determine vaccine “take.” Vaccine take means the vaccination was successful and the individual has the appropriate immune response to be protected against smallpox.

     More information about smallpox is available on the department’s web site at www.state.sd.us/doh/smallpox/ and on the CDC web site at www.cdc.gov/smallpox.

NOTE: To arrange interviews with clinic staff or photos of vaccinations, contact Barb Buhler at 773-3361 for details. Cumulative vaccination statistics will be updated each Friday on the department’s web site, www.state.sd.us/doh/smallpox.