New Jersey to Track Smallpox Vaccinations
TRENTON, N.J. - Sharps safety manufacturer Beckton, Dickinson and Company has teamed with New Jersey Gov. James E. McGreevey to create the first state-wide system for tracking smallpox vaccinations.
"Our partnership with BD enhances New Jersey's preparedness by allowing effective and efficient registration and follow-up of smallpox vaccines," says McGreevey. "This tracking system will position our state as a national leader.
The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services and BD will work with a pilot-test of the BD Bio-Terror Preparedness Network under simulated conditions at regional clinics within the next several weeks. The clinic will have a mobile station with a small personal computer and digital camera. Healthcare workers will record the medical history of those being vaccinated and patients will sign consent forms directly into the notebook-style PC. Photographs will be sued for personal identification and documentation of successful smallpox vaccinations.
McGreevey has allocated $12.5 million to meet the Medical Emergency and Disaster Preparedness and Response Expert Panel recommendations, which include developing a coordinated bioterrorism preparedness and response plan by state.
The state has also received $27.2 million in federal funding to strengthen the public healthcare system.
States cannot, however, begin vaccinating against smallpox until the federal government, which owns the vaccine, grants permission to do so.
For more information, visit: www.bd.com.
A Controversial Reboot: New Vaccine Panel Faces Scrutiny, Support, and Sharp Divides
June 26th 2025As the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time under sweeping changes by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the national spotlight turned to the panel’s legitimacy, vaccine guidance, and whether science or ideology would steer public health policy in a polarized era.
Getting Down and Dirty With PPE: Presentations at HSPA by Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski
June 26th 2025In the heart of the hospital, decontamination technicians tackle one of health care’s dirtiest—and most vital—jobs. At HSPA 2025, 6 packed workshops led by experts Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski spotlighted the crucial, often-overlooked art of PPE removal. The message was clear: proper doffing saves lives, starting with your own.
