PEDIATRICS Vol. 7 No. 1 January 1951, pp. 24-33
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow P3Rs: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when P3Rs are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by BIGLER, J. A.
Right arrow Articles by SLOTKOWSKI, E. L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by BIGLER, J. A.
Right arrow Articles by SLOTKOWSKI, E. L.

SMALLPOX VACCINATION WITH PROLONGED VACCINIA

JOHN A. BIGLER M.D.1 and EUGENE L. SLOTKOWSKI M.D.1

1 The Children's Memorial Hospital and the Otho S. A. Sprague Memorial Institute Laboratories, Chicago.

Definite clinical, histologic and immunologic changes take place following smallpox vaccination. After its full development on the ninth or tenth day, the vaccinial lesion is followed by drying, crusting and scarring. Histologically, there are degenerative and irritative changes in the epidermis believed to be due to the direct action of the virus on the epithelial cells. Immunologically, humoral antibodies to vaccinia begin to appear at the end of the first week following cutaneous vaccination, increase in amount during the second and third weeks and reach a maximum at the end of the third week. The probable reason for the involution of the vaccinial lesion after the pustular stage is the appearance of specific antibodies in the blood which apparently neutralize the vaccinia virus. The presence of histologically active vaccinial lesions approximately four months after implantation of the vaccinia virus could only be explained on the inability of the child to develop immunity to the vaccinia virus. Because of this lack of immunity, degenerative action of the vaccinia virus continued unopposed.

Submitted on May 15, 1950