Smallpox Immunization

Immunized Individual Obligatory Must not donate if: a) The inoculation site has not fully healed. b) Any secondarily infected site has not fully healed. c) Less than eight weeks from inoculation or from the appearance of any secondarily infected site. Additional Information Smallpox immunization is with live virus. By eight weeks, the infection caused by the inoculation should have been controlled. If the wound has not healed it is possible that there may still be infection present. We do not want to pass the virus, or other infection, on to either donors or staff, or to people receiving stem cells.

Contacts Obligatory Must not donate if: a) Any secondarily infected site has not yet healed. b) Less than eight weeks after secondarily infected site appeared. Discretionary If no new skin lesions, accept. Additional Information Close contacts of vaccinees (household or direct bodily contact) may become secondarily infected from direct skin contact with an infected inoculation site or from virus on clothing, bedding, dressings etc. If infection occurs, a new skin rash, blister or sore appears at the site of contact, which could be anywhere on the body. The rash represents a secondary vaccination site and presents exactly the same potential risk to patients, other donors and staff as that of a person who has been intentionally immunized.

Update Information

This advice is a requirement of the EU Tissue & Cells Directive.

This entry was last updated in
TDSG-BM Edition 203, Release 02