US Smallpox Vaccine Linked to Heart Problems

After two people died of heart attacks following a smallpox vaccination, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC, Atlanta, GA, USA) suspended smallpox vaccinations for those people with three or more important risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, or diabetes.

Health officials decided as a safety measure to halt vaccinations in this group in spite of the fact that they could not be certain that the vaccine was the actual cause of the heart problems, and to await the findings of further study. In all, seven healthcare workers had cardiac problems within 18 days of receiving the vaccine. Three had heart attacks, two had heart inflammation, and two had chest pain. Also, 10 US soldiers experienced heart inflammation after their first vaccination. However, military officials noted that this still made the problem rare, since the 10 cases were among a total of 350,000 soldiers given the vaccine.

A connection between heart problems and vaccination is biologically possible, said US cardiologists, because the vaccination causes a low-grade infection that can result in widespread inflammation. In people who already have heart problems, this might augment the tendency of blood clots to form, bringing on a heart attack.





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Centers for Disease Control