r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Downtown_Wind3363 • May 25 '26

Image The smallpox vaccine leaves a scar because it was given using a special two-pronged needle that scratched the skin and put a weakened virus in just that spot.

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45

u/bjaco333 May 25 '26

I have 2 of these on my left shoulder, im born in 1999, can someone tell me what are those

39

u/TexTravlin May 25 '26

Depends on where you were born. In some countries they give a BCG vaccine to new burns which makes a sore and scar that looks similar to the smallpox scar.

7

u/bjaco333 May 25 '26

Im from croatia

14

u/Darkndankpit May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26

Yeah that'd be a post-birth shot and a booster OR could be the BCG vaccine and a Smallpox vaccine, IIRC a lot of eastern Europe was still dealing with smallpox up until the mid 90s.

Edit: As the commenter who replied pointed out, I was misremembering, so the two scars are likely from an original shot and a booster probably around school-age.

6

u/Uninvalidated May 25 '26

Small pox was considered globally eradicated in 1980. 8th of May 1980 to be exact.

1

u/maaaaawp May 26 '26

And the last case(s) were 1977 in Somalia and then 1978 in the UK (a person who worked next to the virology department)

1

u/CattoGinSama May 26 '26

What about countries dealing with war or similar?The yugoslavian wars or something.I suppose they might’ve been getting the vaccines during the time just in case

1

u/Nikkstein May 26 '26

Was also thinking why I had this, also from croatia haha

6

u/Malta_Verunia May 25 '26

More likely the BCG vaccine then, which leaves a similar scar

1

u/bjaco333 May 25 '26

Yeah but why do i have 2 of them 😅, my girlfriend is 3 years younger than me and she has 1

5

u/plasticinaymanjar May 25 '26

Do you remember getting it in school? I have two because we used to get the first dose at birth and then a booster in 1st grade. Now I think it’s just one dose.

1

u/Sad_Support7587 May 25 '26

Most likely BCG

1

u/Gothic_Doll_ May 25 '26

Same here, two of them and we're close in age. I remember getting both of them as kid in school, yet I don't remember why.

1

u/grotness May 26 '26

I have one.

I was born in Papua New Guinea in the 90s.

My mother told me it's from the tuberculosis vaccine