Message to laboratories about vaccinia vaccine from the Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response, Health Canada

In 1988, Health Canada's Laboratory Centre for Disease Control (LCDC) took on the responsibility of issuing smallpox vaccine to civilians, particularly laboratory workers occupationally exposed to smallpox virus, closely related viruses and/or vaccinia virus including vaccinia recombinants⁽¹⁾.

More recently, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommended vaccination of personnel who work in a laboratory in which live smallpox virus or other orthopoxviruses (including vaccinia virus, monkeypox virus, and recombinant, non-attenuated vaccinia virus) may be stored, cultured or manipulated⁽²⁾.

In response to this, Health Canada is coordinating a programme to deliver vaccinia vaccine to laboratory workers with occupational exposure to orthopox viruses. This vaccine has been purchased from Aventis Pasteur and will be administered to lab workers on a voluntary basis following a full medical assessment.

For further information on this programme, please contact:

Office of Public Health Security
Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response
Health Canada
100 Colonnade Road, PL6201A
Ottawa, Ontario    K1A 0K9
613 954 8498

References

1. Health Canada. Official policy on release of smallpox vaccine in Canada. Canada Diseases Weekly Report. 1988;14:230-1.
2. National Advisory Committee on Immunization. Statement on smallpox vaccination. Canada Communicable Disease Report. 2002;28;ACS-1. Available at: STATEMENT ON SMALLPOX VACCINATION - CCDR Vol.28 ACS-1.