Immunologic responses to vaccinia vaccines administered by different parenteral routes

To develop a less reactogenic but equally immunogenic vaccine, this study of 91 human volunteers compared the safety and immunogenic potency of a new, cell culture-derived vaccinia virus vaccine administered intradermally and intramuscularly with the licensed vaccinia vaccine administered by scarification. Cutaneous pox lesions developed in a higher proportion of scarification vaccinees. Scarification and intradermal vaccine recipients who developed cutaneous pox lesions had more local reactions but also achieved significantly higher cell-mediated and neutralizing antibody responses than those who did not develop pox lesions. Although less reactogenic, intradermal or intramuscular administration of vaccinia vaccine without the concomitant development of a cutaneous pox lesion induced lower immune responses.