HHS announces deal to stockpile smallpox vaccine

HHS announced yesterday a $170 million deal to restock the national stockpile of smallpox vaccine. Maryland-based Emergent BioSolutions will sell its ACAM2000 smallpox vaccine to HHS, but the company could receive up to $2.8 billion over the next decade to continue to maintain the supply. The vaccine was licensed by the FDA in 2007 for those at high risk of infection. The Department of Defense keeps a supply of smallpox vaccine for military members deploying to areas where the disease may pose a threat, and HHS replenishes the stockpile. Smallpox is seen as a potential bioterrorism weapon, given that it has been eradicated since 1980 and most people no longer get vaccinated against the disease.