DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed prostate cancer

  • Metastatic androgen-insensitive disease

    • At least 2 bone lesions consistent with prostate cancer metastasis

  • Progressive disease, defined by 1 of the following criteria:

    • Two rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values separated by ≥ 1 week
    • New or enlarging lesions consistent with prostate cancer
    • Clinical progression
• Previously treated with docetaxel for metastatic disease, unless unable to tolerate docetaxel
• Concurrent medical castration therapy with testosterone-suppressing therapy (e.g., gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist) required unless patient has had prior surgical castration
• No symptomatic soft tissue disease or parenchymal disease
• No requirement for urgent local radiotherapy or orthopedic stabilization
• No brain metastasis

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status 0 or 1
• Life expectancy ≥ 6 months
• Granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• AST and ALT < 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Bilirubin < 1.5 mg/dL (≤ 3.0 mg/dL in patients with Gilbert's syndrome)
• Creatinine normal OR creatinine clearance > 60 mL/min
• Proteinuria < 1+ OR urine protein < 1,000 mg/24 hours
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 months after completion of study therapy
• No other active malignancies within the past 12 months except for nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the bladder
• No other life-threatening illnesses

• No evidence of being immunocompromised, including any of the following:

  • HIV positivity
  • Hepatitis B or C positivity

  • Concurrent use of topical steroids (including steroid eye drops) or systemic steroids

    • Nasal or inhaled steroids allowed

• No history of any of the following:

  • Cardiomyopathy or symptomatic congestive heart failure (unless on stable treatment)
  • Symptomatic arrhythmia not controlled by medication
  • Unstable atherosclerotic heart disease (e.g., unstable angina) or requirement for active intervention
  • Myocardial infarction or embolic stroke within the past 6 months

• No autoimmune diseases that require treatment, including any of the following:

  • Addison's disease
  • Hashimoto's thyroiditis
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus
  • Sjögren's syndrome
  • Scleroderma
  • Myasthenia gravis
  • Goodpasture's syndrome
  • Active Graves' disease
• History of autoimmunity that has not required systemic immunosuppressive therapy or does not threaten vital organ function (e.g., CNS, heart, lungs, kidneys, skin, or gastrointestinal tract) allowed

• No history of allergy or untoward reaction to prior vaccination with vaccinia virus or to any component of the vaccinia vaccine regimen

  • Prior vaccination with vaccinia is not required

• No concurrent serious medical illness (e.g., one that requires treatment) that would preclude study treatment including, but not limited to, any of the following:

  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Crohn's disease
  • Ulcerative colitis
  • Active diverticulitis
• No history of seizures, encephalitis, or multiple sclerosis
• No cardiac disease accompanied by fatigue, palpitation, dyspnea, or angina with ordinary physical activity (i.e., New York Heart Association class II-IV disease)
• No history of congestive heart failure or objective evidence of congestive heart failure by physical exam or imaging, unless the underlying cause has been treated and patient has documented normal ejection fraction
• No pulmonary disease accompanied by fatigue or dyspnea with ordinary physical activity
• No serious hypersensitivity reaction to egg products
• No known hypersensitivity to EDTMP or similar phosphonate compounds
• No history of or active eczema or other eczematoid skin disorders

• No other acute, chronic, or exfoliative skin conditions, including any of the following:

  • Atopic dermatitis
  • Burns
  • Impetigo
  • Varicella zoster
  • Severe acne
  • Other open rashes or wounds

• Must be able to avoid close contact (e.g., share the same house or have close physical contact) with any of the following individuals for ≥ 3 weeks after treatment with the study vaccinia vaccine:

  • Individuals with a history of or active eczema or other eczematoid skin disorders

  • Individuals with other acute, chronic, or exfoliative skin conditions, including any of the following:

    • Atopic dermatitis
    • Burns
    • Impetigo
    • Varicella zoster
    • Severe acne
    • Other open rashes or wounds
  • Pregnant or nursing women
  • Children ≤ 3 years of age
  • Immunodeficient or immunosuppressed individuals by disease or therapy, including HIV positive individuals
• Willing to travel to the National Institutes of Health or participating institution for follow up visits
• Patients who are incontinent of urine must be willing to undergo bladder catheterization

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior therapy, including surgery
• No prior recombinant fowlpox-TRICOM vaccine or recombinant vaccinia-TRICOM vaccine
• No prior samarium Sm 153 lexidronam pentasodium
• No prior splenectomy
• No chemotherapy within the past 4 weeks
• No radiotherapy to bone within the past 4 weeks
• No systemic steroid or steroid eye drops within the past 2 weeks

• No other concurrent therapy, including any of the following:

  • Chemotherapy or other anticancer treatment
  • Systemic glucocorticoids (topical or inhaled steroids allowed)
  • Radiotherapy
  • Major surgical procedures
  • Nonprotocol-related immunotherapy
• Concurrent bisphosphonates allowed except within 48 hours after radiotherapy