A member asked:

Can the smallpox vaccine cause chickenpox in an adult?

5 doctors weighed in across 3 answers

Smallpox&varicella : Small popx and varicella viruses are different and one cannot cause the other.

Answered 9/28/2016

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No: There are complications with the vaccinia (smallpox) vaccine but it doesn't cause chickenpox. Disseminated vaccinia rarely occurs but it tends to distribute different from chickenpox.

Answered 10/6/2014

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Dr. Heidi Fowler answered

Specializes in Psychiatry

No: Are you thinking about Shingles? If you develop a rash after vaccination with Zostavax (Zoster Vaccine Live) it is best to cover the rash until the lesions have crusted over. The same virus causes shingles and chickenpox (Varicella Zoster). Zostavax contains weakened chickenpox virus. It would be possible (but rare) to infect someone who has never had chickenpox and who has a weak immune system.

Answered 10/14/2017

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I want to know what is the difference between chicken pox and smallpox?

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