Smallpox Vaccines
There is no cure or treatment for smallpox once infected. The
only protection is vaccination. Traditional smallpox vaccines
(First and second generation vaccines) are effective but considered
unsafe due to high rates of serious adverse events; this includes
death and severe disability. The 2003 US vaccination program for
health care workers, involving more than 37,000 individuals,
confirmed these severe side-effects (1). On top of these severe
side effects, 25% of the general population is contraindicated to
traditional vaccines due to underlying disease conditions, such as
immune suppression and atopic disorders; this includes members of
their households (2). Furthermore, the recent experience from the
pivotal ACAM2000 (second generation vaccine) trials showed that 1
out of 145 healthy subjects subjects developed heart inflammation
(3).
Due to these factors, there is clearly a high need for a new and
safer smallpox vaccine.
(1) Casey et al, JAMA, Dec. 2005, vol. 294, no. 21
(2) Kemper et al, Eff Clin Pract. 2002; 5: 84-90
(3) ACAM2000 Prescribing information 08/2007
