Smallpox Vaccine

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:

• Smallpox is a very serious disease caused by the variola virus (germ). People who have this disease develop fever with a skin rash and blisters that spread all over the body. Smallpox is easily spread from person to person and has killed many people in the early years. Through use of vaccines smallpox was wiped out all over the world by 1980. This means that at present no person anywhere in the world has this disease.
  
  
• The smallpox vaccine helps decrease your risk of getting smallpox disease. It is made from live vaccinia virus, which is a pox-type virus that does not cause smallpox. It works by causing your body to make antibodies against pox-type viruses. Antibodies are special cells in your blood that protect your body and fight infection. After the vaccine is given, these antibodies remember the germs. Once you are exposed to these types of germs, your body quickly sees them. The antibodies become active and your body is better able to fight the germs. The smallpox vaccine also helps protect your body from other types of pox viruses, such as monkeypox and cowpox.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Take your medicine as directed:

Call your primary healthcare provider if you think your medicine is not working as expected. Tell him if you are allergic to any medicine. Keep a current list of the medicines, vitamins, and herbs you take. Include the amounts, and when, how, and why you take them. Take the list or the pill bottles to follow-up visits. Carry your medicine list with you in case of an emergency. Throw away old medicine lists.

Ask for information about where and when to go for follow-up visits:

For continuing care, treatments, or home services, ask for more information.

What to expect after getting the smallpox vaccine:

• Area where the vaccine is given: In 2 to 5 days, a small bump forms on the area where the vaccine was given. The bump becomes filled with fluid and pus, and reaches its biggest size in 8 to 10 days. Within 14 to 21 days after vaccination, the bump dries up and forms a scab. The scab then falls off after 3 to 4 weeks and leaves a scar.
  
  
• Normal, mild reactions: You may have any of the following reactions after getting the vaccine:
  
  
  • The area around the vaccine may be itchy and red.
    
    
  • You may have enlarged lymph nodes (glands) in the armpits.
    
    
  • You may have a fever.
    
    
  • Your arm may be sore and swollen where the vaccine was given. Swelling and pain of the vaccinated area may happen in 3 to 10 days after receiving the vaccine. These problems may not go away for 2 to 4 weeks.
    
    
  • Some people may feel bad enough to miss work, school, or certain activities. Some may have trouble sleeping.

What to do after getting the smallpox vaccine:

After you get the vaccine and before the scab falls off, the vaccine virus can be spread. Contact with the vaccinated area may easily spread the virus to other parts of your body. You may also spread the virus to other people. This can happen when you touch the vaccinated area and then touch another part of your body or someone else. The virus may also spread when you touch things that have touched the vaccinated area. These things include bandages, sheets, clothes, and towels.

• After you get the vaccine, it is important to take care of your vaccinated area. The following may help prevent spread of the virus:
  
  
  • Do not scratch or touch the vaccinated area on your arm. Do not touch things that have touched that area.
    
    
  • Do not towel dry the area where the vaccine was given. Cover the area with a waterproof bandage when bathing.
    
    
  • Place a bandage over the vaccinated area. Wear a shirt with sleeves long enough to cover the vaccinated area.
    
    
  • Wash clothes, beddings, or other cloth materials that have touched the vaccinated area. Use water and a germ-killing solution to clean these items.
    
    
  • Wash your hands with soap and water right away if you have touched the vaccinated area.
  
  

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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

Learn more about Smallpox Vaccine (Aftercare Instructions)