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Smallpox vaccine.(Adult Health Advisor 2006)
- Article from:
- Clinical Reference Systems
- Article date:
- November 1, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 McKesson Health Solutions LLC. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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What is the smallpox vaccine?
The smallpox vaccine is an immunization you can get to help protect you against infection by the smallpox virus.
Smallpox is caused by a virus. Smallpox is a very serious illness that can spread from person to person by coughing or sneezing. It causes high fever, fatigue, headache, backache, and a rash. The rash can cause severe, permanent scarring. Smallpox is fatal in about 1 of every 3 people who get the disease.
Routine smallpox vaccination among the American public stopped in 1972 when cases of smallpox were no longer reported in the US. After that, the US government provided the vaccine only to a few hundred ...