International Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume 13, Issue 3 , Pages 403-409 , May 2009

Smallpox revaccination of 21000 first responders in Israel: lessons learned

  • Emilia Anis

      Affiliations

    • Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
    • Public Health Services, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
    • Department of Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
    • Braun School of Public Health, Hebrew University and Hadassah, Jerusalem, Israel
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +972 2 6706814/5/6; fax: +972 2 6706876.
  • ,
  • Alex Leventhal

      Affiliations

    • Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
    • Public Health Services, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
    • Braun School of Public Health, Hebrew University and Hadassah, Jerusalem, Israel
  • ,
  • Paul E. Slater

      Affiliations

    • Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
    • Public Health Services, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
    • Braun School of Public Health, Hebrew University and Hadassah, Jerusalem, Israel
    • Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
  • ,
  • Eilat Shinar

      Affiliations

    • Magen David Adom National Blood Services, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
  • ,
  • Vered Yahalom

      Affiliations

    • Magen David Adom National Blood Services, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
  • ,
  • Zahava Smetana

      Affiliations

    • Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
    • Public Health Services, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
    • Central Virology Laboratory, Public Health Services, Ministry of Health, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
  • ,
  • Ruth Zach

      Affiliations

    • Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
    • Public Health Services, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
    • Nursing Department, Public Health Services, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
  • ,
  • Shmuel Reznikovich

      Affiliations

    • Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
    • Emergency Preparedness Division, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
  • ,
  • Ella Mendelson

      Affiliations

    • Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
    • Public Health Services, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
    • Central Virology Laboratory, Public Health Services, Ministry of Health, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
  • ,
  • Yehuda Danon

      Affiliations

    • Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
    • FMRC, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
  • ,
  • Boaz Lev

      Affiliations

    • Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel

Received 10 November 2007 ,Revised 31 July 2008 ,Accepted 6 August 2008.

References 

  1. Gerichter CH. Preparation of vaccine against smallpox in chorioallantoic membranes of chicken embryos. Jerusalem, Israel: Public Health Services, Israeli Ministry of Health; 1966;p. 36–41
  2. Rotz LD, Dotson DA, Damon IK, Becher JA; Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Vaccinia (smallpox) vaccine: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 2001. MMWR Recomm Rep 2001;50(RR-10):1–25.
  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Supplemental recommendations on adverse events following smallpox vaccine in the pre-event vaccination program: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2003;52:282–4 and 52(RR-7):1–16.
  4. Somekh E, Smetana Z, Tanay A, Dalal I, Babai I, Mendelson E. Determination of immunity to vaccinia virus using diluted, inactivated vaccinia vaccine solution for skin testing. Vaccine. 2004;23:321–324
  5. Gerichter CH, Borusch D, Silberstein W. Some biological and technical aspects of smallpox vaccination. Jerusalem, Israel: Public Health Services, Israeli Ministry of Health; 1966;p. 30–35
  6. Frey SE, Newman FK, Yan L, Belsche RB. Response to smallpox vaccine in persons immunized in the distant past. JAMA. 2003;289:3295–3299
  7. Grabenstein JD, Winkenwerder W. US military smallpox vaccination program experience. JAMA. 2003;289:3278–3282
  8. Balicer R, Davidovitch N, Huerta M, Cohen D, Grotto I. Smallpox vaccination techniques: considerations and unresolved issues. Harefuah. 2005;144:51–5669
  9. Balicer R, Grotto I, Huerta M, Leventhal A, Zach R, Yahalom V, et al. Beveled needle technique is not associated with low ‘take’ rates in Israeli smallpox revaccination campaign. Human Vaccines. 2005;1:224–227
  10. Frey SE, Couch RB, Tacket CO, Treanor JJ, Wolff M, Newman FK, et al. Clinical responses to undiluted and diluted smallpox vaccine. N Engl J Med. 2002;346:1265–1274
  11. Couch RB, Winokur P, Edwards KM, Black S, Atmar RL, Stapleton JT, et al. Reducing the dose of smallpox vaccine reduces vaccine-associated morbidity without reducing vaccination success rates or immune responses. J Infect Dis. 2007;195:826–832
  12. Nishiura H, Schwehm M, Eichner M. Still protected against smallpox? Estimation of the duration of vaccine-induced immunity against smallpox. Epidemiology. 2006;17:576–581
  13. Nishiura H, Eichner M. Estimation of the duration of vaccine induced residual protection against severe and fatal smallpox based on secondary vaccination failure. Infection. 2006;34:241–246
  14. Orr N, Forman M, Marcus H, Lustig S, Paran N, Grotto I, et al. Clinical and immune responses after revaccination of Israeli adults with the Lister strain of vaccinia virus. J Infect Dis. 2004;190:1295–1302

PII: S1201-9712(08)01509-9

doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2008.08.007

International Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume 13, Issue 3 , Pages 403-409 , May 2009