Terrorism / The USA is preparing for a biological attack: will purchase 155 million vaccines
Haim Shadami, Tamara Traubman and Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz
Israel is equipping itself with stocks of vaccines for smallpox viruses for emergencies - this is what the Director General of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Beaz Lev, confirmed to Haaretz. He added that the intention is to reach a situation where there will be a vaccine for every citizen.
According to Lev, "We are preparing a work plan that will meet any need that may arise, and if and when the need arises, also for the vaccination of the entire population." Dr. Lev refused to say how long the stock of smallpox vaccines will be completed according to the work plan of the security and health system.
Lev also said that "we are in a better situation than most of the countries we know, but that doesn't mean we don't need to improve positions". Until 1980, the population in Israel was vaccinated against smallpox, but according to Lev, "the status of long-term acquired immunity is unknown, as it was not tested in the past. We prepare accordingly."
Lev also confirmed that the stock of the antibiotic for anthrax in the Ministry of Health's emergency warehouses has not yet been completed, but according to him, "we are in the process of completing and stocking up." About a year and a half ago, part of the stock of the antibiotic drug "Cyprogis" intended for the treatment of anthrax was stolen from the emergency warehouses.
But not only Israel is worried about the virus. The American government, as part of its efforts to prepare for biological and chemical terrorist attacks, launched a comprehensive plan on Tuesday, the goal of which is to ensure the vaccination of the entire civilian population in the event of mass exposure to smallpox bacteria. The American health minister, Tommy Thompson, announced the signing of a contract with two companies that produce vaccine components against infectious diseases. According to him, the government will purchase 155 million smallpox vaccine doses. According to the contract, the quantity will be delivered to the government in the fall of next year.
Thompson said that "this purchase will create an inventory that guarantees the protection of the civilian population against the smallpox virus." However, he clarified that at the moment the administration does not intend to start vaccinating the civilian population against smallpox. The millions of doses of the ingredient will be stored in a government database and will be used in the event of a terrorist attack.
Although experts estimate that the likelihood of a mass biological attack through the spread of smallpox viruses is extremely low, the administration fears that following the outbreak of anthrax envelopes and the war in Afghanistan, terrorist organizations and extremist elements may seek revenge in the US by spreading the smallpox virus. The "New York Times" newspaper quoted experts yesterday, who warned that the intentional distribution of smallpox viruses could cause an outbreak of an epidemic that would kill millions of people.
The smallpox disease, which has accompanied humanity for at least 3,000 years, is caused by a virus called variola. It is transmitted from person to person by airborne droplets of infected saliva. Also, the virus can also be transmitted from infected clothes or bedding.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, the virus does not cause disease immediately upon entering the body: it incubates in the body for 12 days after exposure, and only then do symptoms erupt. The first signs of the disease are high fever, fatigue, and headaches and backaches. Two or three days later a rash appears, mainly on the face and limbs. Gradually, the rash spots turn into blisters that are filled with a clear liquid, and later with pus. After three-four weeks, the blisters dry up and fall off.
According to the UN World Health Organization, 30% of smallpox cases are fatal. There is no treatment that has been proven to be effective against the disease. However, if the vaccine is taken up to four days after exposure to the virus, it can reduce the severity of the disease, and sometimes even prevent its development.
The last case of smallpox infection was recorded in Somalia in 1977. Since then, the only known case was caused by a laboratory accident, which occurred in 1978 in Birmingham, England, from which one person died. The health organization announced in 1980 that the smallpox epidemic had been eradicated and that the threat of mass infection had been eliminated. However, the fear that some countries still have reservoirs of the virus has rekindled the discussion of the need to vaccinate against the disease. Currently there are vaccine reserves, but these are extremely limited.
The existing vaccine contains a smallpox strain similar to the strain that affects humans and provides protection for at least ten years. "The existing vaccines have been proven to be effective, but they have a high rate of side effects," read the conclusions published last month by a UN committee that discussed the need to return to using the vaccine. According to the committee, "the risk of side effects is high enough not to justify vaccination of an entire population, but in countries where there is reason to believe that their residents face an increased risk of contracting smallpox - the vaccine can be given to people who are at special risk."
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