Vaccination Reaction

Within the last couple weeks there has been an interesting story in the news about a 2 year old Indiana boy hospitalized due to a vaccination reaction. The most interesting part of the story is the fact that it was the boy's father who received the vaccination (not the child) and it was the child who got sick.


This photo was taken in 2002 (Walter Reed Medical, Washington D.C.) and is a picture of the vile used for the small vaccination in the military.

As you know the smallpox vaccination came back into use in 2002, mostly for soldiers who were being deployed. It went out of routine use in 1972 when the CDC considered smallpox eradicated.

While in preparation for deployment in Iraq, the father (a U.S. soldier) was vaccinated. Unexpectedly the soldier's deployment was delayed and he was given a furlough (a leave of absence/vacation) and spent time with his family.
(It is unclear whether the father had developed symptoms: I have read both that he did as well as that he did not).

The smallpox vaccine is made using a closely related virus called vaccinia, a live virus. This virus is scratched into the surface of the skin, where it causes a mild infection allowing for the body to build antibodies that makes that person much less susceptible to smallpox. It is know that the smallpox vaccine can cause deadly side effects, Eczema vaccinatum being one of them. Ezcema vaccinatum is a rare, but fatal rash and this is the first case to be reported since small pox vaccinations resumed in the US in 2002.

It is thought that the two year old son (and mother/wife) of the vaccinated solider touched the vaccination site and became infected.
The boy developed a virulent rash over 80 percent of his body after coming in contact with his father. Doctors say the boy is not suffering from smallpox but a related virus. He had to be put on a ventilator and it is estimated that he will lose approximately 20% of his outer epidermis (skin layer). It is unclear whether or not the boy will need skin grafts, but a pediatric dermatologist working with the child is optimistic that he will recover without the need for grafts.

The site probably looked something like this (CDC).


The child is currently in critical condition in a Chicago hospital and is being treated with immune globulin, an antiviral drug called cidofovir, and SIGA-246 (an experimental antiviral).