Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
|
|
AIDS Weekly & Law (05.06.04) - Thursday, May 06, 2004
There is a chance that the live virus in smallpox vaccine, rather than conferring immunity, can result in infection that gets progressively worse when it is given to people with weakened immune systems. Because of this potentially fatal risk, people with known HIV-infection are typically not given the smallpox vaccination. The current study details the case of 10 US soldiers with unknown HIV-infection who received smallpox vaccine.
More than 438,000 US soldiers were vaccinated against smallpox between December 2002 and October 2003. Ten soldiers were later identified as HIV-positive but did not experience any harmful effects from the vaccine, according to the report. Of the 10 HIV-positive vaccine recipients, only three were known to have never been vaccinated before, said researchers. Those who had previously received smallpox vaccination may have benefited from some "leftover" immunity.
However, the fact that no soldier had AIDS at the time of vaccination was probably a key factor in preventing a dangerous reaction, researchers said. "Fundamentally, it is because their immune systems were not yet impaired or diminished or compromised, because they were presumably early in their infection," said Col. John Grabenstein, PhD, senior author of the study. "This is one of those cases where the distinction between HIV-positivity and AIDS is apparent."
The authors discussed the risks of vaccination against potential exposure to actual smallpox. Until a weakened smallpox vaccine is available for immunocompromised people, "In the absence of any cases of smallpox in the world, vaccination programs should take care to exempt HIV-positive people from vaccination," Grabenstein said. But an actual smallpox outbreak might make the vaccination benefits outweigh the risks, he added. "Given the high mortality rate from smallpox infection, HIV-infected people could be encouraged to receive smallpox vaccine if they had close contact with a smallpox case."
The full study, "Unintended Smallpox Vaccination of HIV-1- Infected Individuals in the United States Military," is published in Clinical Infectious Diseases (2004;38(9):1320- 1322).
040506
AD040935
Copyright © 2004 - Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD. The CDC National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention provides the following information as a public service only. Providing synopses of key scientific articles and lay media reports on HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis does not constitute CDC endorsement. This daily update also includes information from CDC and other government agencies, such as background on Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) articles, fact sheets, press releases and announcements. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update should be cited as the source of the information. Contact the sources of the articles abstracted below for full texts of the articles.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, AIDS Walk of Orange County, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2004. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2004. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content.
.