Do you bear a small, rounded scar on your upper arm, a souvenir from the smallpox vaccine? Many individuals sport this distinctive mark, a remnant of a time before the 1970s when smallpox vaccinations were commonplace.
he purpose of the smallpox vaccine was to trigger an immune response to protect against the Variola virus, the culprit behind smallpox. To achieve this, a live Vaccinia virus was administered through the vaccine.
Following the vaccination, blisters would emerge at the injection site. Over the course of a few weeks, these blisters would heal and form a crust, leaving behind a circular scar. Each time the needle penetrated the skin, a small amount of the vaccine would be delivered, prompting blister formation and ultimately resulting in the visible scars.
