VCU epidemiologist to address Institute of Medicine board on smallpox vaccinations

By Joe Kuttenkuler

Mike Edmond, M.D., the chief epidemiologist at the VCU Medical Center, has been invited to present the VCU Health System's approach to smallpox vaccinations during a May 1 public board meeting of the Institute of Medicine in Washington D.C.

The meeting will include representatives from national, state and local public health departments, as well as hospitals, health systems and health plans. Each will discuss their experiences in creating vaccination policies, lessons learned, and how they are defining and measuring smallpox preparedness and safety. The meeting is part of series of fact-finding sessions intended to provide the IOM with a national "snapshot" of how the smallpox vaccination program is proceeding.

"This is a great opportunity to articulate the viewpoints of the VCU Health System as a leader in formulating policy on smallpox vaccinations," Edmond said. "The Institute of Medicine is a prestigious advisory organization and being able to share our information with them is important as we continue to evaluate the vaccination process."

The Centers for Disease Control asked the IOM to offer guidance on vaccine implementation and assess ongoing risk and safety issues. Based on the information gathered during the meetings, a special IOM committee will make appropriate recommendations to the CDC and vaccine program managers.

Edmond recently gave a similar presentation to the American College of Public Hospitals which recommended him to the IOM.

VCU's smallpox policy garnered a great deal of medical and media attention late last year after Edmond and Richard Wenzel, M.D., chair of internal medicine in VCU's School of Medicine, recommended to delay vaccinating VCU's front-line health care workers saying the risks outweighed the benefits. Many medical centers across the country followed suit. The policy however, leaves the door open to begin vaccinations under certain circumstances.