Are there any adverse reactions related to smallpox vaccination?
Most people experience normal, typically mild reactions to the vaccine, which go away without treatment. The vaccine often causes a low fever, swollen glands in the armpits, as well as skin redness at the vaccination site. The vaccine, however, can cause several complications, some life-threatening, particularly in people with immune deficiencies and skin disorders. Based on reactions to smallpox vaccines in the past, CDC estimates that between 14 and 52 out of every 1 million people vaccinated for the first time will have potentially life-threatening complications that require medical attention, including * Eczema vaccinatum (EV)-spread of vaccinia skin lesions to areas of the body once or presently afflicted by eczema * Progressive vaccinia-uncontrolled spread of the vaccinia virus to adjacent and underlying tissues resulting in tissue death * Postvaccinal encephalitis-spread of the vaccinia virus to the central nervous system that is probably made worse by an over-response to the va
