Mass Smallpox Vaccination and Cardiac Deaths, New York City, 1947

Abstract

In April 1947, during a smallpox outbreak in New York City (NYC), >6,000,000 people were vaccinated. To determine whether vaccination increased cardiac death, we reviewed NYC death certificates for comparable periods in 1946 and 1948 (N = 81,529) and calculated adjusted relative death rates for the postvaccination period. No increases in cardiac deaths were observed.

Keywords

• Adverse effects
• smallpox prevention
• mass vaccination
• ischemic heart disease
• mortality
• vaccinia