ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- People who have never received a smallpox vaccination may develop any of a variety of benign skin rashes a few days after getting vaccinated for smallpox that should not be confused with a more serious complication of the vaccine, according to an article in the April 1, 2004 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Vaccinia is a virus used to immunize people against smallpox. The study examined 350 adult volunteers, 250 of whom were "vaccinia-naïve," or had never been vaccinated for smallpox before, and 100 of whom were "vaccinia-experienced," or had previously received a smallpox vaccination. Of the vaccinia-naïve, 3.6 percent developed some type of skin rash 6-19 days after being vaccinated. Symptoms usually included itching, redness and small bumps on the skin, and some patients also complained of headaches.
The five different types of rashes described in the article were all "self-limiting;" that is, they cleared up on their own after one to three weeks, and were not accompanied by fever or any other serious symptoms. The harmlessness of the vaccinia-associated skin rashes makes the findings important, according to Dr. Richard Greenberg, lead author of the study, which took place from July 2002 to February 2003.
"Physicians need to know that the skin reactions are benign and can be treated with medicines such as antihistamine," said Greenberg, of the University of Kentucky School of Medicine. "Doctors who realize that the rashes are not dangerous can offer reassurance to concerned patients and prescribe appropriate medications for symptom relief."
"A physician who is unaware of the possibility for a benign skin reaction might wrongly assume that a patient's rash was the development of one of the more dangerous vaccinial lesions. "The concern is that the physician would overreact," Greenberg said. "These skin reactions are rather dramatic, and if we're going to be vaccinating against smallpox, the physician should know that these are benign complications and not subject the patient to unnecessary worry."
Source: Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)
Product Locator: Spring and Early Mother's Day Gift Guide for Infection Prevention Personnel
March 27th 2024Whether it's a spring holiday, birthdays, or no reason at all, infection prevention personnel love to give and receive gifts that help at the end of a stressful day. Infection Control Today® offers some gift ideas for infection prevention personnel and their families.
Catching Up With Vangie Dennis, AORN 2022-2023 President at AORN 2024
March 26th 2024Infection Control Today (ICT) had the privilege of catching up with Vangie Dennis, MSN, RN, CNOR, CMLSO, at the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses' (AORN’s) International Surgical Conference & Expo 2024. As the former president of AORN and an esteemed figure in perioperative services, Vangie Dennis shared insights into her recent endeavors and the exciting new chapter she's embarked upon.
How To Optimize Your Time Management Strategies for the Busy Infection Preventionist
March 25th 2024Is your calendar resembling a chaotic masterpiece of overlapping tasks? Join the club of infection preventionists striving to balance responsibilities. Dive into proven strategies from a fellow infection preventionist to reclaim control of your time, streamline tasks, and boost productivity effectively. This is an IP Lifeline article.
CenTrak Unveils Revolutionary BLE Multi-Mode Platform for Health Care RTLS Solutions
March 22nd 2024CenTrak, the industry leader in real-time location technology, introduces the groundbreaking BLE Multi-Mode Platform, setting a new standard for Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) in health care. Discover how this innovative solution enhances location data precision and streamlines operations for health care organizations.