The call is out to thousands of Utah residents - willing to donate blood plasma for the development of a new smallpox vaccine.
The Centers for Disease Control has given two Utah donor centers their marching orders - 15 thousand liters of plasma - the first batch - by the end of the year.
Science Specialist Ed Yeates has more.
To Donate- Call (801) 583-0488
(leave message on answering machine)
More Info on Smallpox
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One of the donor centers, Serological Inc, is located here in Research Park. It's initially looking for the first two-thousand volunteers who can begin donating right away.
The plasma will be used to develop a new vaccine for first line defenders in this country - soldiers, emergency workers, firefighters, police - all those who might be called up FIRST to respond to an attack by terrorists using the smallpox virus.
Serological and others under contract with the CDC are looking for volunteers age 30 to 60 who are qualified blood donors.
But they must also have this tell tale scar on the shoulder - evidence they, at one time, were vaccinated against smallpox.
If their blood is still producing antibodies - no matter how small - they'll be given a booster shot - NOT the actual smallpox virus - as was given 200 years ago - but a much tamer bug.
WILLIS GOOCH, MD, SEROLOGICAL INC: "WE USE A RELATED VIRUS CALLED VACCINIA WHICH IS NOT NEARLY SO AGGRESSIVE - AND IS NOT AS EASILY TRANSMITTED TO OTHER PEOPLE IN THE ENVIRONMENT. BUT IT GIVES ANTIBODIES WHICH PROTECT AGAINST SMALLPOX AS WELL."
So, the volunteer not only gets renewed smallpox protection from the booster shot - but now their antibody rich plasma can be shipped off to Canada for the development of the new First Line Defense Vaccine.
GOOCH: "IF THEY MAKE ENOUGH ANTIBODY, THEY CONTINUE IN THE PROGRAM FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, TWICE A WEEK, GETTING THEIR PLASMA DRAWN."
The centers for now would like to start with two thousand or more volunteers - but as the project continues in coming years - those numbers could rise dramatically.
JOLETTE FRANCO, SEROLOGICAL INC: "JUST RECENTLY WE'VE RECEIVED MORE ORDERS FOR THESE ANTIBODIES - SO IT MAY ESCALATE OVER TIME INTO THE TEN TO TWENTY TO 30 THOUSAND."
Even though the virus in the booster shot is not aggressive, volunteers cannot have children in the home under age one or anyone in the family who has a history of eczema.
Volunteers will also be fairly compensated monetarily for their time and donations.
