UNMC’s Pete Iwen, PhD, is a vaccination veteran

If you have anxiety about getting vaccinated when it comes to needles, think about Peter Iwen, PhD, who recently received his fifth smallpox vaccine. He describes the process as “getting stabbed 15 times with a needle that looks something like a fork.”

“Yeah it hurts,” he said. “The vaccine feels like someone punching you in the arm. The needle itself is the craziest-looking device. I don’t like shots any more than anyone else.”

A bifurcated needle is used to administer the smallbox vaccine.

Routine vaccination of Americans for smallpox — the one some of us received as children that left a round scar on the arm — stopped in 1972 after the disease was eradicated in the U.S. As a result, a large proportion of the U.S. has no immunity.

The Nebraska Public Health Laboratory, which Dr. Iwen directs, is one of the few laboratories in the country that has the capacity to test for the smallpox virus in suspected specimens. So as the designated person in the laboratory who would receive and process suspected samples of the live virus, Dr. Iwen is required to get the vaccine so he has protective immunity against a potential accidental exposure.

Nowadays, the smallpox vaccine is only given to selective populations, such as certain people who work in laboratories, some members of the military and others who may be at risk for exposure.

The smallpox vaccine also may be administered to the general public in an emergency, such as a bioterrorism exposure — something that was talked about after 9/11. The vaccine now is contained in the national stockpile if needed. However, this current vaccine does have risks for those with certain conditions, so it’s not administered routinely.

“The current smallpox vaccination process is interesting,” Dr. Iwen said. “It uses a live vaccinia virus which is administered using a scarification process with a bifurcated needle. This is a similar process that has been used for over 100 years.”

Until now.

“There’s a new vaccine that was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration called the Jynneos Smallpox and Monkeypox vaccine. The next vaccination will be administered similar to a regular shot. Another benefit to the new vaccine is it’s much safer,” he said.

Operations are underway to replace the older vaccine in the national stockpile with this new vaccine.