Is autoimmune disease in the absence of immune-suppressing medication a contraindication for receiving smallpox vaccine?
There are no data on an increased rate of complications from smallpox vaccination of individuals with severe immune diseases such as ulcerative colitis, Lupus, Hashimoto’s disease (chronic lymphoid thyroiditis), Crohn’s disease and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in the absence of immunosuppressive therapy. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) does state in the MMWR dated 4/4/03 that “Patients with severe clinical manifestations of certain autoimmune disease (e.g., systemic lupus erythematosis) might have a degree of immunocompromise as a component of the disease.” http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5207a1.htm Together, patients with underlying medical conditions and physicians familiar with their disease status should consider weighing the risks and benefits of smallpox vaccination in a pre-event setting.
