Should pregnant women who receive the smallpox vaccine undergo any special medical tests?
There is no known test that can reliably confirm before birth if a baby is infected with vaccinia. Pregnant women who have received the smallpox vaccine should receive regular prenatal care, and should discuss their smallpox vaccination with their healthcare provider. There are tests that are being studied in a research setting to confirm infection after birth, and these might prove helpful in the future. These tests involve taking a sample of blood from the umbilical cord after the baby is born and testing for the presence of vaccinia virus or antibodies (substances that help fight off infection) against the virus. Likewise, if a pregnancy ends in miscarriage or termination the tissue from the fetus may be tested for the smallpox vaccine virus.
There is no known test that can reliably confirm before birth if a baby is infected with vaccinia. Pregnant women who have received the smallpox vaccine should receive regular prenatal care, and should discuss their smallpox vaccination with their healthcare provider. There are tests that are being studied in a research setting to confirm infection after birth, and these might prove helpful in the future. These tests involve taking a sample of blood from the umbilical cord after the baby is born and testing for the presence of vaccinia virus or antibodies (substances that help fight off infection) against the virus. Likewise, if a pregnancy ends in miscarriage or termination the tissue from the fetus may be tested for the smallpox vaccine virus. If a pregnant woman who has received smallpox vaccine develops a serious reaction what should she do? Anyone who thinks they are having a serious reaction to the smallpox vaccine should either call the phone number provided on the “Post-Vaccina
