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FOR RELEASE:
January 24, 2003
CONTACT:
Janet Bass
202/879-4554
jbass@aft.org
Statement by Sandra Feldman
President, American Federation of Teachers/AFT Healthcare
Nation Ill-Prepared for Smallpox Vaccination Program
(President Bush’s first phase of the smallpox vaccination program begins today)
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Adequate protections are not yet in place to guarantee a safe and effective smallpox vaccination program for healthcare workers and others who get inoculated. We shouldn’t put our healthcare workers and those who receive the vaccine in harm’s way by rushing into something without proper preparation. The program should not be implemented until education, training, thorough medical screening, compensation for dealing with adverse reactions and other necessary measures are in place. I strongly urge bipartisan legislation to ensure that the federal government fully funds this program.
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The AFT represents more than 1.2 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers, paraprofessionals and other school support employees, higher education faculty, nurses and other healthcare workers, and state and local government employees.
