As a child, I noticed a distinct mark on my mother’s arm near her shoulder, a ring of small dents surrounding a larger indentation. It piqued my curiosity at the time, but over the years, I forgot about it—until a few years ago when I helped an elderly woman off a train and saw the same mark in the same spot. Intrigued, I called my mother, who reminded me that she had told me before: the mark was from the smallpox vaccine.

Smallpox, a contagious viral disease that once caused widespread fear, was eradicated in the U.S. by 1952 due to successful vaccination efforts. By 1972, smallpox vaccinations were no longer routine. However, until the early ’70s, children received the vaccine, which left a noticeable scar—a mark that identified individuals as vaccinated.

What caused the smallpox vaccine to leave a mark?

The smallpox vaccine induced scars due to the body’s recuperative processes. The vaccine itself was administered quite differently from many contemporary vaccines, using a specialized double-pronged needle.

The smallpox vaccine left scars because it was administered using a double-pronged needle that made multiple punctures in the skin. The vaccine caused the skin to form bumps, which became blisters and eventually scabbed over, resulting in the characteristic scar.

Do you possess a scar from the smallpox vaccine? Share with us in the comments!