What's on this Page
What is Vaccinia Vaccine
The vaccine used for prophylaxis against smallpox is called vaccinia vaccine and is a parenteral preparation of live, laboratory-derived vaccinia virus. Vaccinia virus is used because it is antigenically similar to the variola virus. The smallpox vaccine does not contain smallpox virus (variola) and cannot spread or cause smallpox.
Most estimates suggest immunity from the vaccinia vaccine lasts 3 to 5 years. Immunity can be boosted effectively with a single revaccination. Prior infection with the disease grants lifelong immunity. Post-exposure vaccination may be effective if given within 4 days of exposure to smallpox.
Vaccinia vaccination is generally considered very safe; serious complications are rare but include a risk of fatality in roughly 1—2 per million persons receiving primary vaccination and 0.25 deaths/million persons receiving revaccination.
Brand Name
Dryvax
Indications & Dosage
- monkeypox prophylaxis
- variola (smallpox) prophylaxis
Side Effects
- angina
- arthralgia
- back pain
- cardiomyopathy
- chest pain (unspecified)
- chills
- coma
- constipation
- diarrhea
- dizziness
- drowsiness
- eczema vaccinatum
- encephalopathy
- erythema
- erythema multiforme
- fatigue
- fetal death
- fever
- folliculitis
- generalized vaccinia
- Guillain-Barre syndrome
- headache
- injection site reaction
- lymphadenopathy
- maculopapular rash
- malaise
- meningitis
- muscle paralysis
- myalgia
- myelitis
- myocardial infarction
- myocarditis
- nausea
- paresthesias
- pericardial effusion
- pericarditis
- photophobia
- pruritus
- rash
- seizures
- Stevens-Johnson syndrome
- urticaria
- vaccinia necrosum (progressive vaccinia)
- vertigo
- vomiting
Monitoring Parameters
- laboratory monitoring not necessary
Contraindications
- acne vulgaris
- acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
- albumin hypersensitivity
- angina
- atopy
- autoimmune disease
- blood donation
- bone marrow suppression
- breast-feeding
- burns
- cardiac disease
- cardiomyopathy
- children
- coronary artery disease
- diabetes mellitus
- eczema
- encephalopathy
- exfoliative dermatitis
- glycerin hypersensitivity
- heart failure
- herpes infection
- human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
- hypercholesterolemia
- hyperglycemia
- hypertension
- immunosuppression
- infants
- infection
- latex hypersensitivity
- mannitol hypersensitivity
- myocardial infarction
- myocarditis
- neomycin hypersensitivity
- neonates
- ocular disease
- pericarditis
- polymyxin hypersensitivity
- pregnancy
- psoriasis
- severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID)
- streptomycin hypersensitivity
- stroke
- syphilis
- systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
- tetracyclines hypersensitivity
- tobacco smoking
- tuberculosis
- varicella
Interactions
- Abatacept
- Adalimumab
- Aldesleukin, IL-2
- Alefacept
- Alemtuzumab
- Alkylating agents
- Alpha interferons
- Altretamine
- Anakinra
- Anthracyclines
- Antimetabolites
- Antithymocyte Globulin
- Antitumor antibiotics
- Axicabtagene Ciloleucel
- Azathioprine
- Baricitinib
- Basiliximab
- Belatacept
- Belimumab
- Bexarotene
- Blinatumomab
- Brodalumab
- Busulfan
- Canakinumab
- Carmustine, BCNU
- Certolizumab pegol
- Chlorambucil
- Cisplatin
- Clofarabine
- Cortisone
- Cyclophosphamide
- Cyclosporine
- Cytarabine, ARA-C
- Dacarbazine, DTIC
- Daclizumab
- Deflazacort
- Dexamethasone
- Docetaxel
- Dupilumab
- Efalizumab
- Emapalumab
- Estramustine
- Etanercept
- Everolimus
- Fingolimod
- Floxuridine
- Fludrocortisone
- Fluorouracil, 5-FU
- Folate analogs
- Golimumab
- Guselkumab
- Hydrocortisone
- Ifosfamide
- Imatinib
- Infliximab
- Interferon Gamma-1b
- Ixabepilone
- Ixekizumab
- Leflunomide
- Lenalidomide
- Lomustine, CCNU
- Mechlorethamine, Nitrogen Mustard
- Melphalan
- Methylprednisolone
- Mitoxantrone
- Muromonab-CD3
- Mycophenolate
- Natalizumab
- Nelarabine
- Nilotinib
- Obinutuzumab
- Ocrelizumab
- Ofatumumab
- Ozanimod
- Paclitaxel
- Prednisolone
- Prednisone
- Procarbazine
- Purine analogs
- Rilonacept
- Risankizumab
- Rituximab
- Rituximab; Hyaluronidase
- Sarilumab
- Secukinumab
- Siltuximab
- Siponimod
- Sirolimus
- Streptozocin
- Tacrolimus
- Temozolomide
- Temsirolimus
- Teriflunomide
- Thiotepa
- Tildrakizumab
- Tisagenlecleucel
- Tocilizumab
- Tofacitinib
- Tositumomab
- Triamcinolone
- Ustekinumab
- Vedolizumab
- Venetoclax
- Vinblastine
- Vincristine
- Vincristine Liposomal
- Vinorelbine
