Smallpox Vaccination

Issue
Recent news reports have highlighted the government's preparations for a potential smallpox outbreak. As part of a strategy to manage such an outbreak, the government will ask health care workers and other critical personnel to volunteer to receive the smallpox vaccine. Questions have been raised about the suitability of potential blood donors who have recently been inoculated with the smallpox vaccine or those who may have had other direct exposure to people who have been vaccinated.

Facts
­The smallpox vaccine helps the body develop immunity to smallpox. The smallpox vaccine does not contain the smallpox virus. It is made from a virus called vaccinia, which is a “pox”-type virus related to smallpox. Being related to the smallpox virus, vaccinia virus provides immunity to smallpox but has fewer complications.

The risk of transmission of the vaccinia virus through a blood transfusion remains uncertain. The Red Cross is taking a conservative approach and temporarily deferring blood donors who have recently been vaccinated.

In general, people who receive the smallpox vaccine, and have no complications from the vaccine, will be temporarily deferred from donating blood for two months, or 60 days, from the date of their vaccination. For more specific deferral criteria for people who have been vaccinated, and for those who have been in close contact with a person who has been vaccinated, please call 1-800-215-1659.

For more information about the smallpox vaccination, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web site at www.cdc.gov.

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