Wisconsin health workers administered the first smallpox vaccinations in Wisconsin Monday. Fifteen state volunteers have been vaccinated so far, who will in turn vaccinate a portion of nearly 2,000 volunteers in the second round of immunizations next week. The remaining volunteers will be vaccinated in April.

The vaccinations are designated only for volunteers who would administer the vaccine to the public if the smallpox virus were released in the United States.

Bioterrorism-preparedness coordinator Steven Marshall said the timing of the vaccinations has been “driven by the White House” to prepare for any chance of biological or chemical attacks by Iraq. Marshall said Wisconsin is in the midst of a nationwide effort to vaccinate immunization volunteers.

Volunteer and National Pharmaceutical Stockpile coordinator Joe Cordova said he decided to get vaccinated because he wanted to prevent his own infection while coordinating the vaccines if an attack occurred.

Cordova said he is not worried about side effects of the vaccination, even though individuals vaccinated with smallpox face a one in 1,000 chance of a serious side effect, according to the Center for Disease Control. The possibility of serious side effects is 10 times higher for those with weakened immune systems, such as individuals with skin diseases or cancer.

Side effects could range from minor headaches and fevers to skin rashes.

Cordova said the lengthy health-screening process for volunteers has minimized the chances of harmful side effects and the vaccination is less contagious than the media have made it seem.

“A lot of people are scared that vaccinated people are more contagious than they really are,” Cordova said. He said the bandage and clothing protect people adequately from the vaccination.

The vaccination is contagious if the fluid from the wound comes into contact with the internal system of another person, whether through the eyes, nose or a break in the skin. The contagious pus forms over the vaccination wound after four to five days, according to immunization adviser Jeff Berg, who was also vaccinated Monday. He said bandages are taken off after 21 days.

Smallpox vaccinations take approximately 10 minutes and are different from regular vaccinations because the needle only penetrates the skin. People who have never been vaccinated are pricked three times, and those who have been vaccinated in the past are pricked 15 times.

Dane County Public Health administrator Gareth Johnson said the risk to the household of a vaccinated person currently outweighs the benefits of bioterrorism preparation because they would not be protected by any compensation if they became infected and developed side effects, unlike the volunteers, who are protected by workers’ compensation.

“It’s a balancing act, and now there is more difficulty seeing the benefits, so I don’t know that they outweigh the risks,” Johnson said. “But if a single case broke out in the world, that changes the whole balance upside-down.”

Berg disagreed, saying the volunteers were not required to become vaccinated and the preparation of an attack is a smart thing to do.

“We’re just trying to establish a team of people who could respond to a possible smallpox introduction in the United States,” Berg said.

Marshall said Wisconsin is preparing in many ways for any possible biological or chemical attack, including stockpiling pharmaceutical antidotes for chemical weapons and conducting disease surveillance. He said Wisconsin has received $21 million this year in federal funding for preparations.