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November 1, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Smallpox Statutes From 1903, Though Outdated, Still Apply" Wyoming Tribune-Eagle (www.wyomingnews.com) (10/30/02) P. A8; Olson, Ilene

State officials in Wyoming say 99-year-old statutes crafted to address smallpox outbreaks are still relevant today due to the terrorist threat.  In testimony given before the state's Joint Transportation and Highways Interim Committee, Dr. Brent Sherard, interim director of the Wyoming Department of Health, told the committee that the statutes, which were originally enacted in 1903 to handle the epidemic for that period, "are very appropriate today."  Sherard's committee plans to propose minor adjustments to the statutes in the Legislature, and included in that measure are emergency instructions for immunization, treatment, and/or quarantine requirements.  Under the proposed amendment, the state public officer would have the authority to adopt and enforce measures in case a public health emergency is declared.  While the committee had previously turned down language that would have required vaccination in the event of an outbreak, Monday's proposal added a quarantine requirement for individuals who refuse vaccination during an outbreak and it also had a provision for appealing the quarantine.

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