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March 03, 2003

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Infection Tied to Smallpox Vaccine"

Los Angeles Times (www.latimes.com) (03/01/03) P. 3; Richardson, Lisa

Health officials report that a patient hospitalized with an eye infection in Los Angeles County may have contracted it from a person enrolled in the military's smallpox vaccination program.  While physicians are still unsure as to how the patient became infected by the vaccinia virus, Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director of public health in Los Angeles County, said they know for certain that transmission occurred through direct contact, "rather than this being something that was just in the air."  There have been no other reports of adverse reactions among health-care workers in the county, or of transmissions to patients or others from health-care workers in other parts of the country.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did say there have been at least two cases of adverse reactions stemming from the smallpox vaccine reported, but those people had received the vaccine. Fielding said the most effective ways to prevent vaccinia transmission are "common-sense precautions," including "correct hand hygiene," which means frequent hand-washing.

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