If a health care worker is inadvertently exposed to a patients smallpox vaccine site pustule, should that worker be vaccinated?
No, he should not be vaccinated. Standard precautions taken by health care providers (wearing gloves, etc.) should prevent significant exposure. If contact is made with uncovered skin, the area should be washed with soap and water, and the worker monitored for signs of vaccinia infection (i.e., a lesion at the site of contact).
