There is a vaccine to protect people from smallpox. If there were a smallpox outbreak, health officials would use the smallpox vaccine to control it. While some antiviral drugs may help treat it or prevent the smallpox disease from getting worse, there is no treatment for it that has been proven effective in people sick with the disease.
Smallpox Vaccine
Smallpox vaccine, the first successful vaccine to be developed, was introduced by Edward Jenner in 1796, today we have common vaccines: ACAM2000, Imvanex, Jynneos, others
If you get the vaccine:
Within 3 days of being exposed to the virus, the vaccine might protect you from getting the disease. If you still get the disease, you might get much less sick than an unvaccinated person would.
Within 4 to 7 days of being exposed to the virus, the vaccine likely gives you some protection from the disease. If you still get the disease, you might not get as sick as an unvaccinated person would.
The smallpox vaccine offers the best protection against contracting the smallpox virus. The vaccine is not without some risks, however. Based on the history of smallpox vaccination:
Between 14 and 52 people per one million vaccinated will have a potentially life-threatening reaction.
One to two of these people will die from these reactions.
About 1,000 people per one million vaccinated will have serious but not life-threatening reactions.
