Health officials and emergency response personnel Thursday became the first people in Natrona County in 30 years to get smallpox vaccinations.

Community Nursing Director Mary Janssen was the first to get 15 jabs with a bifurcated needle holding a droplet of vaccine from Director of Disease Prevention Tia Hansuld in an exam room at the City of Casper-Natrona County Health Department.

Janssen said she didn't know how many of the 167 Casper police, firefighters, Natrona County sheriff's deputies and county nurses approved for vaccination would show up for Thursday's clinic, which will also run this morning. Janssen said additional clinics in Natrona County will be scheduled as needed.

"We're protecting the people that we're counting on to protect the rest of us," said Bob Harrington, director of the local health department.

With Wyoming Highway Patrol escorts, Wyoming Health Department officials Thursday morning arrived in Casper with one vial of the vaccine, which has 100 doses.

James McKinna, one of four vaccine managers from the state Health Department, was also on hand to display his vaccination blister. McKinna got his shot last Friday with other state health officials. So far, he said, he has had a normal reaction to the vaccine, which studies say may have severe side effects for 14 to 52 people out of every 1 million vaccinated.

A few days after McKinna got the shot, however, the forming bump annoyed him.

"It's like a mosquito just sitting on there and you know it and you want to get it off but you can't," he said.

Looking at McKinna's ugly, red blister, Janssen said, "I would call it a robust take."

McKinna said taking care of the site, which is contaminated with live, communicable vaccinia virus, is a bit of a bother since the bandages are considered a biohazard. In the normal course of events, the site develops a scab that falls off three weeks after vaccination.

The vaccination clinic involves a lengthy screening process before anyone can get a shot. After registering, potential vaccinees watch a video about the process. Vaccinees then review their medical histories with a nurse, even though they have already been screened extensively for conditions such as immune suppression or skin diseases that could make the vaccine - a weak cousin of smallpox - dangerous.

The vaccination mantra: "If in doubt, screen out," according to Harrington.

"This is so absolutely voluntary, anyone can opt themselves out at any time," he said.

If everything works out, the vaccinees get the shot and go to a second education session, where they look at pictures of normal reactions and what Harrington calls "interesting reactions" that are not harmful. The vaccinees also get a loot bag of bandages.

Health officials will monitor and take pictures of the vaccination site's progress on a regular basis, Harrington said.

State health officials will take the remaining vaccine with them when they leave Friday. McKinna said other teams would take vaccine to similar clinics in Sweetwater and Sheridan counties in the coming weeks.