| Comment Record |
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Commentor |
Dr. Alan Grimes |
Date/Time |
2002-11-07 12:16:42 |
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Organization |
Children's Mercy Hospital |
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Category |
Health Professional |
| Comments for FDA General |
| Questions |
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1. General Comments
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I oppose the use or testing of the Dryvax vaccine on children at this time. The vaccine is old enough that I believe a full-scale retesting is in order, starting with non-human trials. More appropriate would be the development of a new vaccine with today's technology and testing. Risks and side effects that were acceptable when the vaccine was first released well-outweighed the risks of smallpox. At this time, we have no certain knowledge that smallpox exists at all as a biological weapon. My personal feeling is that if they had it, they would have used it by now. We are not dealing with individuals, terrorists, or countries known for great self-restraint. Certainly now, when we have identified the potential risk and have a plan to counter it, would be a bad time for any use against us. The well-documented risks of the vaccine, in my opinion, are NOT outweighed by a small (if any) benefit to these children. I am a strong vaccine supporter in general, but not on this issue. Thank you for letting me share my views.
Alan Grimes, MD
General Pediatrics
Kansas City, MO
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