As a child, I was fascinated by a distinctive scar on my mother\u2019s upper arm. Located near her shoulder, it looked like a circle of small indentations surrounding a larger mark. For reasons I can\u2019t fully explain, it caught my attention and sparked my curiosity. Over time, however, I stopped thinking about it and eventually forgot that I had ever wondered about its origin.<\/p>\n
Years later, while helping an elderly woman off a train, I noticed she had an almost identical scar in the exact same location. The sight immediately reminded me of my mother\u2019s mark and reignited my curiosity. Since I didn\u2019t have time to ask the woman about it, I called my mother instead. She explained that the scar was the result of a smallpox vaccination and reminded me that she had told me the same thing years earlier.<\/p>\n
Smallpox was once one of the most feared infectious diseases in the world. The virus caused severe fever, a widespread rash, and often death or permanent disfigurement. Thanks to a highly successful vaccination campaign, smallpox was eliminated in the United States by the early 1950s, and routine vaccinations against the disease ended in the early 1970s.<\/p>\n
The vaccine was administered differently from most modern vaccines. A special two-pronged needle made multiple punctures in the skin, allowing the vaccine virus to trigger a localized reaction. Small blisters formed, eventually scabbing over and healing. This process often left behind the recognizable scar that many older adults still carry today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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