Permanent scar on my upper arm?

Question

I got a vaccine on my upper arm (near my shoulder) when I was born, and it left a permanent scar. What's the name of the vaccine and what is it given for? I think the vaccine is not given here in the U.S. ...

Answer 1

Depending on how old you are, and where your from, it could be a couple of things. It could be a smallpox vaccine, which was discontinued back in the 70s after the smallpox virus was considered eradicated by the WHO (World Health Organization). If it was more recent, it might be a BCG vaccine, which is used in many countries to prevent TB (Tuberculosis).

Answer 2

Yes it was given in the U.S. It was a small pox vaccine. I have the scar. You are dating yourself! Only baby boomers have it (those born in the fifties and early sixties) after that, the disease was erradicated.
I remember the day I got the shot. Somehow they thought it would be "comforting" to horde all the first graders at my school into a gymnasium and line us up to wait to be "shot" with a "gun" simulating a rifle! Mass hysteria ensued after the first kid got vaccinated. LOL! It was a health fair of some sort, I guess. I can still hear the screaming!

Answer 3

It may have been small pox. It is usually not given at birth in the U. S., however that is the vicinity in which it is usually given. If I remember correctly the vaccine is given by breaking the surface of the skin and applying a bit of a small pox culture on the area and letting it scab and then peel off. It generally leaves a small scar.

Answer 4

Polio vaccines leave a scar almost as big as a dime. At one time, during the 30's and 40's, polio was epidemic, especially in the USA. After the vaccine was developed, it was given to school children nationwide, in order to prevent further outbreaks. Since that time, polio, in this country, has essentially became obsolete.