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Woman dies after receiving smallpox vaccination

Hospital Safety Connection, March 26, 2003

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Health officials are studying a potential link between heart disease and the smallpox vaccine after a Maryland woman died of a heart attack and six others became ill after being immunized, the Associated Press reports.

Although officials never made such a connection before, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a warning and began an investigation on March 25.

Three of the seven people suffered heart attacks, including the Maryland woman who died, another woman who is on life support, and a third woman who was hospitalized and released. All three were health care or public health workers in their 50s.

Two other people developed chest pain. All five of these patients had risk factors for heart disease before the vaccination, such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, or use of tobacco, said CDC Director Julie Gerberding. The other two patients under investigation suffered from heart inflammation.

The vaccine carries side effects, but they have never included heart problems. The CDC plans to further study the issue before ruling out a connection between the vaccine and heart trouble.

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