News in brief - Feb. 10, 2003

Smallpox vaccines on schedule - Pediatric drug tests ordered for 12 commonly prescribed drugs - Anthrax-plague vaccine in the making - Child's first seizure should not be routinely treated with epilepsy drugs - Most nurses support smallpox vaccinations, but lack knowledge

Smallpox vaccines on schedule

Keeping to schedule, Dept. of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson signaled the start of the smallpox vaccination program for doctors and other health care workers on Jan. 24.

On Jan. 25, four physicians in Connecticut were the first to receive the vaccine under a plan to immunize about 500,000 health care workers. These volunteers would then be able to vaccinate and care for others should a bioterror attack using the smallpox virus occur.

Shortly before the Jan. 24 starting date, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shipped enough smallpox vaccine and needles to cover 21,600 public health and health care workers in Connecticut, Nebraska, Vermont and Los Angeles County.

As the CDC receives requests for smallpox vaccine from a state, the orders are forwarded to the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile for processing and shipment.

Thompson's declaration, which allowed states to begin the smallpox vaccination program, was required under federal law. The declaration was published in the Jan. 28 Federal Register.

Pediatric drug tests ordered for 12 commonly prescribed drugs

Twelve prescription drugs, commonly prescribed for adults, will soon be tested for use in children, according to the Dept. of Health and Human Services.

The drugs, which include azithromycin, baclofen, bumetanide, dobutamine, dopamine, furosemide, heparin, lithium, lorazepam, rifampin, sodium nitroprusside and spironolactone, have long been approved for marketing and are often prescribed for children, but they have only been tested for adults, said HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson. Each drug will undergo about two years of testing, followed by evaluation of test results by the Food and Drug Administration.

Government-supported testing of the drugs is to begin this year with up to $25 million available. Another $50 million is to be included in the administration's fiscal year 2004 budget along with an additional $18 million for review by the Food and Drug Administration.

The testing was called for in the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act, which was signed into law in 2002.

Anthrax-plague vaccine in the making

Needham, Mass.-based Avant Immunotherapeutics Inc. recently announced that it is developing an oral combination anthrax and plague vaccine for the Dept. of Defense.

The rapid-acting vaccine will be based on the company's modified live vaccine technology and will use genetically modified bacteria as vectors to deliver plague and anthrax antigens to the immune system in a way that quickly stimulates protective immunity against those microbes, said the company. In contrast, the current anthrax vaccine requires individuals to undergo a series of six injections over an 18-month period.

The $8 million, two-year contract was awarded as a subcontract from DynPort Vaccine Co., the Dept. of Defense's prime contractor for its Joint Vaccine Acquisition Program.DVC is currently developing seven vaccines for the Defense Dept. and is the first company to initiate clinical trials with a new smallpox vaccine.

Child's first seizure should not be routinely treated with epilepsy drugs

Doctors should not regularly prescribe anti-epileptic drugs after a child's first seizure, according to guidelines issued by the American Academy of Neurology and the Child Neurology Society in January.

The guidelines, published in the Jan. 28 issue of Neurology, state that most children who experience an unprovoked seizure do not have a recurrence, and that early treatment with anti-epileptic drugs does nothing to reduce the risks of developing epilepsy, but puts children at risk for side effects and adverse reactions from the medication.

Most nurses support smallpox vaccinations, but lack knowledge

More than two-thirds of nurses support the government's smallpox vaccination plan, but most do not know the vaccination's benefits in an outbreak situation, according to the results of a survey of 8,000 nurses released in January by the National Network for Immunization Information.

Sixty-nine percent support the federal plan, and 63% are willing to be immunized themselves, although these numbers were lower for younger nurses. Only 50% of nurses under 35 were willing to be vaccinated, and 58% supported the government's plan.

Researchers were most concerned, however, about the lack of knowledge regarding outbreak situations. Most public health agencies recommend the "ring vaccination" strategy which involves giving shots to those exposed to a case, but only 21% of nurses knew that getting the vaccine after exposure would prevent a person from developing the disease. More than a third said it would not be effective and nearly half responded that they didn't know if it would work or not.