I have a clear memory of noticing a distinct scar on my mother’s arm when I was a child. It sits high up, close to her shoulder, taking the appearance of what looks like a ring of small indents in her skin around a larger indent.
Do not inquire why that particular detail captured my attention all those years ago; I cannot recall. I only remember that it did, but as is frequently the case, I somewhat forgot about its existence in the subsequent years.
Of course, I did not entirely forget it existed (it remains in the same location it has always occupied), but I did forget that at one time I was intrigued by what had led to it. Perhaps I once asked my mother, and she provided an explanation. However, if she did, I have forgotten that as well.
This was until I assisted an elderly woman off a train one summer a few years ago, and I happened to notice the very same scar, in the identical location as my mother’s. Unsurprisingly, my curiosity was aroused, but with the train about to proceed to my destination, I could not precisely inquire about the origins of her scar.
Instead, I contacted my mother, and she disclosed that she had indeed informed me more than once – evidently, my mind did not consider the information significant enough to retain – and that her scar was a result of the well-known smallpox vaccine.
Smallpox is a viral, infectious disease that once instilled fear in humanity. It produces a considerable skin rash and fever, and during the most severe outbreaks in the 20th century, it claimed the lives of an estimated 3 out of 10 victims, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many other survivors were left with disfigurements.
Thanks to the effective and widespread administration of the smallpox vaccine, the virus was declared “extinct” in the United States in 1952. In fact, in 1972, smallpox vaccinations were no longer included in routine immunizations.
However, until the early 1970s, all children were vaccinated against smallpox, and the vaccinations left a very distinct mark. Consider it the very first vaccine passport, if you will: a scar that indicated you had been successfully vaccinated against smallpox.
And indeed, you are correct; it is that very scar that my mother possesses (just as nearly all others in her age group do).
Why did the smallpox vaccine scar?
The smallpox vaccine caused scars due to the body’s healing process. The vaccine itself was delivered in a rather different way to many other vaccines given today, using a special two-pronged needle.
The individual responsible for administering the vaccine performed several punctures in the skin (as opposed to the single puncture typically associated with modern vaccines) to introduce the vaccine into the dermis (the layer situated beneath the epidermis).
Subsequently, the virus contained in the vaccine began to replicate, leading to the formation of round bumps. These bumps eventually progressed into vesicles (small blisters filled with fluid), which would later rupture and form scabs over time.
The outcome is the well-known scar that has been discussed in this article.
Are you old enough to have a scar from the smallpox vaccine? Let us know in the comments!
