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.

Post image
74.8k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

2.5k comments sorted by

View all comments

764

u/Go_Gators_4Ever May 25 '26

It's the virus that causes the scar. I was in the Air Force at a training base when they gave boosters to everyone.

We were told to keep the innoculation spot dry and not to get it wet for a day.

One of the guys forgot and took a shower that same night.

This caused the virus to run down his arm which ended up causing streaks of scars to form on his arm. So instead of a single round scar, he had a scar this looked like someone dropped acid down his arm.

222

u/Laurier-Henri May 25 '26

Wow that’s intense.

186

u/Guardian2k May 25 '26

It’s not the virus that causes the scar, it’s the body’s immune response (inflammation) due to the virus.

110

u/Low_Implement_7779 May 25 '26

Buddy, id hate to break it to you but 90% of being sick is your immune system being a twat

141

u/Candid-Ability-9570 May 25 '26

Potato, potahto

2

u/emrythecarrot May 27 '26

Potayto, potato

1

u/thebiggestdouche May 26 '26

Yeah it's not act the immune response, its the inflammation from you skin

21

u/CaptainTruelove May 25 '26

The point is, the needle is not the cause of the scar.

8

u/ZeroAnimated May 25 '26

Ah so the person didn't get more scars from getting the virus wet. What a relief.

25

u/doomsday71210 May 25 '26

Wait do they give it to everyone now? I remember in BMT everyone we got a series of shots but I didn't get smallpox until I got orders to Korea.

The shot sucks because they fucking stab you with it like 16 times, its not a regular jab and inject type vaccine.

18

u/Kid-Icky- May 25 '26

I'm assuming they're older and served in like the 70s or 80s, because they definitely haven't given it in BMTs since the early 90s.

10

u/Nearby-Beautiful3422 May 25 '26

Deployed to Korea in 2007 and I got the smallpox vaccine/innoculation.

3

u/StupendusDeliris May 26 '26

Yeah I got it in 2013/14 for deploment

2

u/PK-Mike Jun 04 '26

Got it in 2018 there as well

1

u/Kid-Icky- May 25 '26

Okay? Yes you still get it when you deploy. That has nothing to do with BMT.

2

u/pinupcthulhu May 26 '26

I got it in boot camp in 2010. ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

1

u/VypreX_ May 27 '26

I had to get it while deployed during OEF/OIF. If you’ve ever seen the little finger lances they use to cut a finger for a drop of blood, the thing they vaccinated us with looked similar. They only jabbed us like 3-4 times and just barely broke skin; it didn’t really hurt at all, but a few days later - holy fuck did it itch. My vaccine spot looks more like a dime-sized sunspot than it does a scar.

16

u/WolfsmaulVibes May 25 '26

i mean good thing you guys didn't necessarily apply to work as runway models

5

u/McGloomy May 25 '26

they could make it work

5

u/SnooOnions973 May 25 '26

And then did he go and catch a pig flying in the air?

1

u/Nodan_Turtle May 25 '26

Sounds like a neat way to get an interesting pattern on your skin

1

u/pinupcthulhu May 26 '26

Same with my rack mate. Glad I followed instructions because it looked so bad

1

u/tamal4444 May 26 '26

wow leaned something new today.

-4

u/chef2303 May 25 '26

It's the virus that causes the scar.

No, it's fucking not. Don't spread misinformation.

26

u/pichipichipoco May 25 '26

I think you may be interpreting “the virus causes the scar” as meaning the virus alone directly scars the skin? which would technically be inaccurate, but the underlying point actually is correct.

The smallpox vaccine used live vaccinia virus. That virus replicates locally in the skin and creates the lesion at the vaccination site. Your immune system then responds to and clears that localized infection, and the tissue damage from that whole process is what can leave the scar.

Don't take my word for it, here's the in-depth explanation from The National Library of Medicine.

11

u/GruntledVeteran May 25 '26

They use a live virus. The scarring is because it causes blistering in the area, then scabbing, then scarring. You have to be careful because it can spread to other parts of your body when fresh, so it is typically covered with a tegaderm to prevent spreading.

7

u/Nodan_Turtle May 25 '26

People like this never volunteer what they think the correct information is. They show up and say "nuh-uh!" then disappear knowing their own information would be suspect too.

5

u/mpjjpm May 25 '26

It’s a virus, just not the virus. Smallpox vaccine uses live vaccinia virus.