Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Severe headaches following smallpox vaccination.

James Sejvar1, Roumiana Boneva, J Michael Lane

  • 1Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, National Center Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, Mailstop A-39, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.

Headache
|January 25, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Severe headaches after smallpox vaccination are usually temporary. Most cases resolved within three months, though some hospitalized patients experienced prolonged symptoms, indicating a need for further study.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The Lancet One Health Commission: harnessing our interconnectedness for equitable, sustainable, and healthy socioecological systems.

Lancet (London, England)·2025
Same author

Outcome and Sequelae of Autoimmune Encephalitis.

Journal of clinical neurology (Seoul, Korea)·2024
Same author

Outcome and Sequelae of Infectious Encephalitis.

Journal of clinical neurology (Seoul, Korea)·2024
Same author

Polysubstance Use in Pregnancy: Surveillance, Interventions, and Next Steps.

Journal of women's health (2002)·2023
Same author

Neurological diagnoses in hospitalized COVID-19 patients during the B.1.1.529 surge.

Annals of clinical and translational neurology·2023
Same author

Moral Injury Among US Public Health Service First Responders During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Public health reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974)·2023

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Vaccinology
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Smallpox vaccination has been reintroduced for civilian use.
  • Headaches are a commonly reported side effect of smallpox vaccination.
  • Understanding postvaccination headache is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the clinical features and outcomes of headaches following smallpox vaccination.
  • To analyze demographic and clinical data of patients reporting postvaccination headache.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS).
  • Identified and analyzed 108 reports of headache following smallpox vaccination.
  • Included data from 627 smallpox vaccine-related reports, with 15 hospitalizations.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Headache was the primary complaint in 108 reports.
  • No patients exhibited neurologic dysfunction or acute laboratory abnormalities.
  • Headache resolved in all but two hospitalized patients within three months.

Conclusions:

  • Severe headache following smallpox vaccination is typically transient.
  • Debilitating headaches can occur, necessitating further investigation.
  • The study highlights the generally favorable outcome of postvaccination headaches.