New Zealand readies for smallpox attack

By ANGELA GREGORY

Thousands of doses of smallpox vaccine will be imported early next year as part of international precautions against terrorist use of the deadly virus.

The Ministry of Health confirmed yesterday that it would buy the vaccine after Australia made a similar announcement at the weekend.

The move comes as New Zealand police boost security at key locations. Acting Deputy Commissioner operations Neville Matthews said staff in "several key facilities" were told last week that their security status had been lifted one step from the normal white alert to black alert.

"There have been no threats made against New Zealand police or indeed New Zealand generally. However, there is globally a heightened awareness of possible security risks and the commission decided it was appropriate to increase the security status of several key areas."

New Zealand's purchase of smallpox vaccines comes after the United States announced plans to inoculate half a million frontline military personnel and up to 10 million civilian healthcare and emergency workers as a counter-terrorism measure.

President George W. Bush has also volunteered for the vaccination.

"Our Government has no information that a smallpox attack is imminent, yet it is prudent to prepare for the possibility that terrorists who kill indiscriminately would use diseases as a weapon," Mr Bush said.

Australia has received 50,000 doses of vaccine in the past few days and up to 100,000 additional doses are expected in the first part of next year.

New Zealand and Australia do not plan to give inoculations immediately. They will keep the vaccine on hand to contain an outbreak if required.

New Zealanders who may have been vaccinated against smallpox more than 20 years ago are unlikely to be immune now.

Deputy director-general of public health Don Matheson told the Herald a decision was made last week to buy about 10,000 doses, probably from France, although details of volumes and costs were still being worked out.

There was also still some doubt about which vaccine to buy - a new type with fewer side-effects would be available soon.

Dr Matheson said the vaccine, which could be in the country by March, would be securely stored where it could be quickly distributed if necessary.

The vaccine would be used only if smallpox broke out, and would be made available to those who had been in contact with, or needed to treat, infected carriers.

Smallpox was eradicated worldwide 22 years ago, but there are fears that laboratory samples may have been obtained by terror groups and could be used to produce biological weapons.

Smallpox causes pus-filled blisters on the skin which leave severe, pitted scars. Historically, about one-third of infected people die. There is no cure.

Particles containing the virus are released into the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes or simply talks. They also may spread through direct contact such as kissing or through contaminated bed linen and clothing.

Inhaling a single virus particle can be enough to cause infection.

Dr Matheson said bioterrorism was by nature unpredictable so a number of plans were being prepared, each involving different responses.

Other steps would probably include isolation, intensive monitoring and restricted travel.

"They are proven methods to prevent the spread of infectious diseases."

Last year, the US Government ordered millions of doses of smallpox vaccine but some health officials warned that widespread inoculations could kill one in a million recipients and cause serious side-effects in one in 10,000.

Public health physicians have warned that bio-weapons, including smallpox, plague and genetically engineered organisms, could spread globally. A US bioterrorist attack exercise showed how smallpox could spread to 25 American states and 15 countries within 13 days.

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