In response to President George Bush’s announcement Friday that he will make the smallpox vaccine available to health care professionals, Emanuel Medical Center has already made plans to begin educating its employees.

Emanuel, along with other Stanislaus County hospitals, will be working with the Stanislaus county Health Services Agency to provide information and vaccines as they become available.

“With the announcement from the president, local hospitals, the medical society and the public health department are moving forward as a health care team to plan for the specifics of the vaccination process,” John Walker, public health officer for HSA, said in a statement.

“While there is no information that smallpox will be introduced in California now or the near future, it is prudent that we take precautions in the event there is an occurrence.”

Pennie Rorex, spokesperson for Emanuel Medical Center, said that starting in January, the hospital will provide voluntary information clinics for its staff. The clinics will be held on Jan. 17, 19, and 31.

The sessions will include information on such topics as the risks associated with the vaccine; who should and should not receive it; the kinds of workers needed to form an initial response team and general information about smallpox and the vaccine.

Actual vaccinations could start in late January.

Reprinted by permission of the Turlock Journal.