Safety

HHS pledges 20 million doses of smallpox vaccine

Emergency Management Alert, December 20, 2004

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) pledged last week that the United States will stockpile 20 million doses of smallpox vaccine.

"The United States is proud to make a significant contribution to a global stockpile that will serve as a critical line of defense in the event of a smallpox attack anywhere in the world," HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson said. "This is an important step toward ensuring the health and safety of the American people."

The 20 million doses will stay in the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile however it will be available to the World Health Organization in an emergency.

Secretary Thompson reassured Americans that the U.S. pledge to the WHO does not compromise in any way America's ability to provide vaccines for its own citizens in the event of a smallpox outbreak.

"We have stockpiled more than enough smallpox vaccine for every man, woman, and child in America," Thompson said. "But in this age of global interconnectedness, we need to take extra steps to be prepared for threats around the world."

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