- BAY AREA (KRON) -- The California
Nurses Association announced today that it has called on state hospitals
and the Department of Health Services to end the controversial smallpox
vaccination program in California.
-
- The call came in response to the news today that health
officials in Illinois and New York have suspended all smallpox vaccinations
while investigators review the deaths of two healthcare workers who suffered
fatal cardiac arrests after being vaccinated.
-
- "It is long past the time when people should be
left to make individual determinations as to whether the vaccine is safe,"
said CNA President Kay McVay, R.N. "The state must act to protect
the public and the tens of thousands of nurses and other healthcare workers
who could be put at serious risk."
-
- CNA officials said today that the organization opposed
the smallpox vaccination plan from its inception and implementation and
has actively discouraged its 50,000 registered nurses from receiving the
vaccine.
-
- As of last Friday, 807 California healthcare workers
have received the smallpox vaccination.
-
- Copyright 2003, Bay City News. All rights reserved.
- http://www.kron.com/Global/story.asp?S=1205341
|
