Safety, Tolerability, and Immune Response of ACAM3000 Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) Smallpox Vaccine in Adults

Smallpox

Smallpox, Smallpox Vaccine, Variola virus, Smallpox Virus, MODIFIED VACCINIA ANKARA, MVA, Dryvax, Dryvax vaccine, Protection against smallpox

The purpose of this study is to gather information on the safety and the effectiveness of an investigational vaccine for the prevention of smallpox disease. Smallpox was one of the major causes of death and sickness through the first half of the 20th century, but a global program of smallpox eradication resulted in the elimination of the natural disease. The last cases of smallpox in the United States occurred in 1949 in Texas. Today, only laboratory workers who work with smallpox-related viruses, military personnel, and health care workers are vaccinated. Historically, individuals in the US were vaccinated with a product such as Dryvax®, which contains the virus vaccinia in the same family as smallpox. This virus could promote immunity to smallpox, but not produce the disease itself. Although effective, these vaccines are not safe to use in people with atopic dermatitis (eczema, allergic immune response to allergens), children less than 1 year of age, and people with a compromised immune system, occurring in certain diseases (HIV positive individuals and AIDS), and following treatment with certain types of drugs. It is important to find a safe vaccine that can be used to protect people who cannot receive routine vaccinia-based smallpox vaccine. The vaccine in this study is known as Modified Vaccinia Ankara or MVA vaccine. It is the objective of this study to find out if MVA vaccine is safe and effective in providing immunity to smallpox. The effectiveness of this vaccine will be measured in two ways. The first way is to find out if there are specific antibodies in your blood following MVA vaccination. Antibodies are chemicals your body produces to fight smallpox virus. The second way is to see whether or not there is a typical skin reaction following vaccination with a traditional smallpox vaccine, given about three months after vaccination with the MVA vaccine. The typical reaction in an unvaccinated person to smallpox vaccine is formation of a blister or pox which occurs at the site of vaccination. In a person with immunity to smallpox the skin reaction is much less, and typically consists of a little swelling at the site of vaccination.

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United States