[Fetal vaccinia (author's transl)].

The problems of vaccination in pregnancy are discussed with regard to the specific immunological circumstances of pregnancy and the immunological relationship between the mother and the fetus. In the whole medical literature only 18 cases of fetal vaccinia are described. The author emphasizes that fetal vaccinia is a complication of primovaccination of a pregnant woman. Experiments on rabbits disclosed that the suppression of cellular immunity in the mother may cause prolanged virusemia and thus favour intrauterine infection. Pregnancy is an absolute contraindication for primovaccination against smallpox.