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Home > Smallpox Report > Adverse Events Among Civilians

Adverse Events Associated with
Smallpox Vaccination Among Civilians

Adverse Event Number of new cases (April 1, 2005- April 30, 2005) Total number of cases (January 24, 2003- April 30, 2005)
Eczema vaccinatum - Serious (potentially life-threatening) skin rash caused by widespread infection of the skin in people with skin conditions such as eczema or atopic dermatitis 0 0
Erythema multiforme major/Stevens-Johnson syndrome - A toxic or allergic rash in response to the vaccine that can take various forms and range from moderate to severe 0 0
Fetal vaccinia - Vaccinia virus infection of a fetus resulting from exposure to smallpox vaccine during pregnancy 0 0
Generalized vaccinia - Widespread vaccinia rash (ranging in severity from moderate to serious) involving sores on parts of the body away from the vaccination site resulting from vaccinia virus traveling through the blood stream 0 2
Inadvertent inoculation, nonocular - Spread of the vaccinia virus to another part of the body, except the eyes, caused by touching the vaccination site and then touching another part of the body, usually mild in severity1 0 31
Myocarditis/pericarditis – Inflammation of the heart/membrane around the heart ranging from mild to life-threatening in severity 0 21
Ocular vaccinia - Eye infection that can be mild to severe (leading to loss of vision) usually resulting from touching the eye when vaccinia virus on your hand 0 3
Postvaccinial encephalitis - Severe, potentially life-threatening, brain swelling which can lead to permanent brain damage 0 1
Progressive vaccinia - Severe, potentially life-threatening skin and tissue destruction starting at the vaccination site and spreading to the rest of the body; occurs in people with severely compromised immune systems 0 0
Superinfection of vaccination site or regional lymph nodes– usually a bacterial infection, mild to moderate in severity2 0 0
1includes military to civilian contact cases
2formerly named pyogenic infection

Note: Numbers may vary based on daily updates, follow-up, and recodes.

For more information, visit this CDC smallpox web site.


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This page last updated May 10, 2005
URL: http://www.cdc.gov/media/spcivil.htm

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