Vaccine
VIG
Therapy for Complications
General Information (22:V6:94)
Antibodies limit
viral replication. Cangene® intravenous
VIG therapy is first-line therapy for a number of the smallpox
vaccine complications. Under IND. Cangene® is
available only through the CDC. It is suggested that VIG is administered
as soon as possible after onset of the following complications:
- Inadvertent
inoculation (severe, or underlying illness)
- Generalized
vaccinia (severe, or underlying illness)
- Eczema vaccinatum
- Progressive
vaccinia
- Consider
for severe ocular complications
Usage
Vaccinia immune
globulin is valuable in treating patients with progressive vaccinia,
eczema vacciniatum, severe generalized vaccinia, and periocular
infections resulting from inadvertent inoculation.
It is administered
intramuscularly in a dose of 0.6 mL/kg of body weight. Because
the dose is large (eg, 42 mL for a person weighing 70 kg), the
product is given intramuscularly in divided doses over a 24- to
36- hour period and may be repeated, if necessary, after 2 to 3
days if improvement is not occurring.
Limited Availability
Because the
availability of VIG is so limited, its use should be reserved for
the most serious cases. Vaccinia immune globulin, as well as vaccinia
vaccine, is made available by the CDC through state health departments.
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