Defending against smallpox: a focus on vaccines

ABSTRACT

Smallpox has shaped human history, from the earliest human civilizations well into the 20th century. With high mortality rates, rapid transmission, and serious long-term effects on survivors, smallpox was a much-feared disease. The eradication of smallpox represents an unprecedented medical victory for the lasting benefit of human health and prosperity. Concerns remain, however, about the development and use of the smallpox virus as a biological weapon, which necessitates the need for continued vaccine development. Smallpox vaccine development is thus a much-reviewed topic of high interest. This review focuses on the current state of smallpox vaccines and their context in biodefense efforts.

KEYWORDS:

• Smallpox
• smallpox vaccine
• bioterrorism
• biological warfare
• vaccinia virus

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Caroline L. Vitse for her editorial assistance with this manuscript.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This project was funded by federal funds from the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. HHSN266200400025C (N01AI40065). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. G Poland is the chair of a Safety Evaluation Committee for novel investigational vaccine trials being conducted by Merck Research Laboratories. G Poland offers consultative advice on vaccine development to Merck & Co. Inc., CSL Biotherapies, Avianax, Dynavax, Novartis Vaccines and Therapeutics, Emergent Biosolutions, Adjuvance, and Microdermis. G Poland holds two patents related to vaccinia and measles peptide research. R Kennedy is funded by Merck Research Laboratories to study waning immunity to mumps. R Kennedy and G Poland have provided consultative advice on smallpox vaccine safety to the World Health Organization. These activities have been reviewed by the Mayo Clinic Conflict of Interest Review Board and are conducted in compliance with Mayo Clinic Conflict of Interest policies. This research has been reviewed by the Mayo Clinic Conflict of Interest Review Board and was conducted in compliance with Mayo Clinic Conflict of Interest policies. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.