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Components of the Smallpox Vaccine

  • The smallpox vaccine currently available in the United States (Dryvax, produced by Wyeth) is a live-virus preparation[s] of infectious vaccinia virus. Smallpox vaccine does not contain smallpox (variola) virus.

  • The current vaccine was prepared in the early 1980s from calf lymph with a seed virus derived from the NYCDOH strain of vaccinia virus. The vaccine is provided as a lyophylized (freeze-dried) powder in a 100-dose vial, and contains the antibiotics polymyxin B, streptomycin, tetracycline and neomycin.

  • The diluent used to reconstitute the vaccine is 50 percent glycerin and a small amount of phenol as a preservative.
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