Mass smallpox vaccination and cardiac deaths, New York City, 1947

Lorna E Thorpe; Farzad Mostashari; Adam M Karpati; Steven P Schwartz; Susan E Manning; Melissa A Marx; Thomas R Frieden

doi:10.3201/eid1005.040119

Mass smallpox vaccination and cardiac deaths, New York City, 1947

Emerg Infect Dis. 2004 May;10(5):917-20. doi: 10.3201/eid1005.040119.

Authors

Lorna E Thorpe¹, Farzad Mostashari, Adam M Karpati, Steven P Schwartz, Susan E Manning, Melissa A Marx, Thomas R Frieden

Affiliation

¹ Division of Epidemiology, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, New York 10013, USA. [email protected]

Abstract

In April 1947, during a smallpox outbreak in New York City (NYC), more than 6 million people were vaccinated. To determine whether vaccination increased cardiac death, we reviewed NYC death certificates for comparable periods in 1946, 1947, and 1948 (N = 81,529) and calculated adjusted relative death rates for the postvaccination period. No increases in cardiac deaths were observed.

Publication types

Historical Article

MeSH terms

Adult
Death Certificates / history*
Heart Diseases / etiology
Heart Diseases / history*
Heart Diseases / mortality
History, 20th Century
Humans
Immunization Programs / history
Mass Vaccination / history*
Middle Aged
New York City / epidemiology
Smallpox / prevention & control
Smallpox Vaccine / administration & dosage
Smallpox Vaccine / adverse effects
Smallpox Vaccine / history*

Substances

Smallpox Vaccine