Smallpox. Smallpox is an infectious disease. Smallpox is an acute contagious disease caused by Variola virus, it is a member of the orthopoxvirus family. It was one of the world's most feared diseases until it was eradicated by a collaborative global vaccination programme led by the World Health Organization. (www.who.int/emc/diseases/smallpox/)Although there has been no recent accounts of it that doesn't mean that is not important. Smallpox is highly contagious …showed first 75 words of 847 total…

…showed last 75 words of 847 total…the virus from spreading. But luckily the vaccine doesn't contain the smallpox virus and it can't give you the virus. The smallpox vaccine is the best protection you can get if you are exposed to the smallpox virus. Any one who is exposed to this virus regardless of health conditions would be offered the smallpox vaccine because the risks are much greater than those who have been vaccinated are. (http://www.smallpox.gov/AboutVaccine.html)