Florida has delayed by at least a few weeks the start of smallpox shots for health care workers, because legal liability issues forced the federal government to postpone shipping vaccine to the states, Florida's bioterrorism chief said on Friday.

State health officials were set to start giving a first wave of shots on Jan. 24 but put off their plans indefinitely after federal officials told them they were hung up on sticky questions about who's responsible for the vaccine's side effects, said Jack Pittman, director of public health preparedness for the state Department of Health.

"We don't think [the delay] will be more than a few weeks. Sometime in early to mid-February," Pittman said. "When we start depends on when we get it. When we get the vaccine, we're ready to go."

About 32,000 front-line health department and hospital personnel are slated to get the first shots under Florida's plan to protect against a smallpox terrorism attack. A second phase in spring would cover at least 300,000 paramedics, police and others who would respond to a smallpox case.

The smallpox virus in the past has killed 30 percent of those infected. The vaccine, before it was halted in 1972, killed one to two people per million shots given and caused serious illness in up to 52 per million. In addition, one-fifth to one-third of those who get the shots get sick enough to miss work or school.

Pittman said states were told last month that the vaccine would be shipped by Jan. 24, the effective date of a law that shields vaccine makers and shot givers from being sued by those who have side effects.

Now, the vaccine is being delayed until federal officials resolve concerns from hospital officials who want to be protected from lawsuits if their employees get sick, and who fear they will have to pay for sick time and health costs of those who get sick, Pittman said.

Hospitals have been reluctant to commit to having employees vaccinated until those questions get settled.

CDC spokesman Llelwyn Grant said the vaccine would not be delivered until all major questions are resolved.



Bob LaMendola can be reached at blamendola@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4526.