Guest Author - Ruby Joiner

Nurse figure prominently into proposed plans to reindroduce smallpox vaccine in the United States, yet no systematic effort has been made to determine what they know about the vaccine, and how they feel about the prospect of receiving it.

In November 2002, a paper and pencil survey was taken about vaccine saftey that included six questions about smallpox vaccine. It was mailed to a nationally representative sample of 8,000 nurses randomly selected from a database of state nursing board lists.

Over two thirds of the respondents (69%) think the smallpox vaccine is "very effective" in preventing the disease,22% "somewhat effective", less than 1% "not very effective" or "not at all effective", and 8% "don't know".

Nearly two thirds of respondents (63%) indicated they would get vaccinated or (revaccinated) as a precaution against a terroist attack were vaccine available to them.Conversely,13% indicated they would not get vaccinated, and 24% were unsure.

Only 5% of respondents indicated that they have a health condition that would prohibit them from getting vaccinated. Another 16% were unsure.

Nearly seven in ten respondents (69%) indicated they "favor" The White House proposal to vaccinate doctors and nurses, on a voluntary basis, as a prevention in the event of a larger vaccination effort. 9% "oppose" the proposal, and 22% "don't know".

Almost two thirds of respondents thought it "very likely" (19%) or "somewhat likely" (43%) they would contract smallpox if while vaccinated,they came within a few feet of someone with the disease. In contrast, risk to be "not very likely" (23%) or "not at all likely" (4%) , and(12%) "don't know".