Smallpox vaccine trials under way

he Medical Center is one of four institutions nationwide studying the effectiveness of diluted versions of the smallpox vaccine. Given highest priority at the request of the federal government, the study could potentially increase the vaccine supply in the United States from the current 15 million dosages to as high as 150 million dosages and mitigate the damage of a bioterrorism attack.

Earlier this month, volunteers in Rochester began signing up for the study that will include approximately 200 individuals in the Rochester area who have never been vaccinated, part of a total of 684 people nationwide. Study participants receive the traditional smallpox vaccine or a diluted form of the vaccine--either one-fifth or one-tenth the traditional dose. The vaccine contains no smallpox virus, and doctors stress that there is no risk of developing smallpox from the vaccine.

John Treanor, associate professor of medicine and the leader of the Rochester portion of the study, says the clearest sign of successful vaccination will be the development of a dime-sized blister where the injection is given. After the initial immunization, patients will be seen every three or four days for at least two weeks. The study is expected to last about two months.

Though more than 400 people have volunteered to take part in the study, not all have qualified, and many more volunteers are still needed, says Treanor. Anyone interested in volunteering should be in good health, between the ages of 18 and 32, and not previously vaccinated against smallpox.

For additional information, call x3-3990.

Other institutions taking part in the study are Saint Louis University, Baylor College of Medicine, and the University of Maryland. The group comprises a network of research centers funded by the National Institutes of Health to develop and test new vaccines for a variety of illnesses, including flu, pneumonia, rotavirus, and whooping cough.

Maintained by University Public Relations
Please send your comments and suggestions to:
Public Relations.