North Carolina public health officials have submitted their first report of a possible adverse reaction to the smallpox vaccine since the state’s vaccination efforts began in January.

According to the report submitted last Friday by State Epidemiologist Dr. Jeff Engel to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the case involved a nurse who developed a “non-specific” rash.

“A non-specific rash simply means that the cause of the rash is not certain,” Engel said. “The rash developed nine days after the nurse was vaccinated, which is relatively common in people who receive the smallpox vaccine. The volunteer did not become seriously ill and has already been released to go back to work.”

The patient was vaccinated as part of the state’s ongoing program to protect hospital and public health volunteers against smallpox should the virus be used in a bioterrorism attack. To date, 628 people in North Carolina have been vaccinated in connection with this effort, which is expected to continue for the next several months.

The occurrence of a vaccine reaction case should not have any impact on the statewide vaccination effort, State Health Director Dr. Leah Devlin said.

“Obviously, we are always concerned when we hear about a possible adverse reaction to the vaccine,” Devlin said. “We know that there are some risks associated with the vaccine. That’s why our vaccination program is voluntary, and that’s why we screen people for conditions that could put them at high risk for having a bad reaction.”