Progress towards new smallpox vaccine

Progress has been made by researchers looking to create a new vaccine for smallpox.

Scientists at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology have found a cellular defect that increases the chances of developing eczema vaccinatum, which is a potentially deadly reaction to the smallpox vaccine.

By pinpointing the defect, the experts hope to find a vaccine in the future that does not carry this side effect.

Currently, people with active eczema and the people they live with are not able to be given smallpox vaccinations, due to the risk of them subsequently developing eczema vaccinatum.

Writing in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, Mitchell Kronenberg, the La Jolla Institute's president and scientific director, stated: "This discovery answers an important question that has long eluded the scientific community.

"It marks a significant advance toward the goal of ensuring that everyone can one day be protected against the smallpox virus."

Smallpox was officially eradicated around the globe in 1980.

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