The first thing they would do for your character is re-vaccinate him. If done within four days after exposure, this provides immunity and prevents infection. I think this article at WHO answers most of your questions: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/smallpox/en/
He'd likely still have immunity. Smallpox vaccination is vaccination with a life virus. Though you should consider: Weaponization has as a goal (among others, like making it even more contagious etc) that vaccinations do not take.
What kills you when you conduct smallpox isn't the smallpox in and by itself, but your own immune system going into overdrive. I'm not even sure they would re-vaccinate him because of previous exposure since his immune system is already potentially compromised, but I'm not too sure on that one.
(While it's a popular science book rather than hard facts, you might want to read "Demon in the Freezer" by Richard Preston, it's very accessible to non-science people and has a few details from people who've worked with the stuff before and who were involved in the eradication. He also has a very detailed description of one smallpox case in Germany from the...70s, I think, at the start of the book.)
You may find the case of the death of Janet Parker in Birmingham in 1978 relevant. Parker had been vaccinated against smallpox only twelve years previously.
Try 'The Demon in the Freezer' which is a non-fiction book all about Smallpox. It's a fascinating read and will help you write credibly about the lab and your scenario.
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This list will have more sources: http://search.who.int/search?q=immunity+from+smallpox&ie=utf8&site=default_collection&client=_en&proxystylesheet=_en&output=xml_no_dtd&oe=utf8
Good luck!
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What kills you when you conduct smallpox isn't the smallpox in and by itself, but your own immune system going into overdrive. I'm not even sure they would re-vaccinate him because of previous exposure since his immune system is already potentially compromised, but I'm not too sure on that one.
(While it's a popular science book rather than hard facts, you might want to read "Demon in the Freezer" by Richard Preston, it's very accessible to non-science people and has a few details from people who've worked with the stuff before and who were involved in the eradication. He also has a very detailed description of one smallpox case in Germany from the...70s, I think, at the start of the book.)
Also, you might find this helpful Household Transmission of Vaccinia Virus from Contact with a Military Smallpox ( ... )
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T.C.
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