Individual genes alter the response -- effectiveness -- of the smallpox vaccine, not the quality of the vaccination, U.S. researchers say. Senior author Dr. Gregory Poland, director of the Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group, said worldwide vaccination is believed to have eradicated smallpox, but the highly contagious and sometimes fatal illness remains a bioterrorism concern.
Tags: bioterrorism, Dr. Gregory Poland, Immunology, individual genes, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group, Research, Smallpox, UPI, vaccine, worldwide vaccination