You’ve probably noticed that some people have a small round scar on their upper. That is the scar from being vaccinated for small pox. This smallpox vaccine was common before 1970s. Doctors used a live Vaccinia virus so that they could trigger an immune response that would protect people against the dangerous Variola virus that caused smallpox.
Doctors used a bifurcated needle which was dipped into the Vaccinia solution to deliver the vaccine, and the individual’s arm was poked several times. Each time the needle broke the skin, a small amount of the vaccine was deposited and blisters formed, so this probably explains why the scars are so large.
Right after the application of the vaccine, a small swelling appears at the vaccination site which persists for 6-8 hours. Then, the swelling disappears and the vaccination site looks normal. 6-8 weeks later a swelling appears once again and it looks like a mosquito bite. It then starts to grow and forms a nodule which breaks open and discharges some fluid and forms an ulcer. The ulcer heals by forming a scar. This entire process takes 2-5 weeks. Sometimes, this process of ulceration and healing recurs 2-3 times. The formed scar remains forever.
Smallpox was no longer present in most of the Western world after the early 1970’s, so vaccination wasn’t needed unless a person was travelling to a country where the virus was still present.
In 1980’s, the Variola virus was certified to have been eradicated from the world’s population. This smallpox vaccination was stopped completely.
