Many people have a small, round scar on their upper arm, a lasting reminder of the smallpox vaccine commonly administered before the 1970s. This vaccine used the live Vaccinia virus to build immunity against the dangerous Variola virus, which causes smallpox.
After getting the shot, blisters would form at the injection site. These blisters eventually healed, leaving a circular scar.
The vaccination process involved several needle pricks, leading to blisters, some swelling, and a lump similar to a mosquito bite. This lump grew, oozed fluid, and eventually healed into the permanent scar.
Smallpox was eradicated in the Western world by the early 1970s, and vaccinations ceased in the 1980s as there was no longer a risk of exposure.
The scar now stands as a historical marker of a disease that was once deadly.
