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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report recently relating the case of a woman who had sexual contact with a man who had been vaccinated against smallpox several days earlier, and her subsequent genital infection. The woman went to an Alaskan public health clinic last year, complaining of painful vaginal tears. The tears were not a result of any sort of abuse.
A swab of the lesions was taken and then sent to the Alaska State Virology lab, where the virus was unable to be identified. It was later sent to the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC was able to identify the virus as a vaccine-strain of the vaccinia virus, a closely related strain to the variola, or smallpox, virus.
The woman reported having a new partner from the local military base in the days prior, and the infection was traced back to their vaccinations. According to the report, "The most frequently reported sites of vaccinia infections caused by unintentional transfer are the face, nose, mouth, lips, genitalia, anus and eye." Since this woman’s report was made, four other cases of vaccinia have been linked to military members’ vaccinations, but none of the others were genital. The report suggests that the best way to prevent further infections is to educate those who have been vaccinated about the correct way to wash their hands after they have touched the vaccinated area.
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