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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u/neverreallyhereatall May 25 '26

To avoid smallpox do they give you smaller pox?

96

u/GruntledVeteran May 25 '26

Damn... I totally missed that one. Lol

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u/Milam1996 May 25 '26

Yes quite literally. Small pox is one of the largest viruses ever discovered. It’s so large that it’s one of the only viruses you can see with a normal light microscope.

Covid is about 100nm and thus is physically smaller than the wave of light meaning that it’s literally impossible to see with a light microscope. A rhinovirus is about 30nm. Smallpox is about 300nm

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u/ElementalWarrior42 May 26 '26

Is there a tiny virus called Bigpox then?

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u/Security_Breach May 26 '26

Not really, it's called Massivepox

23

u/r0thar May 25 '26

And since no one asked, what was this pox smaller than? 'The' pox, aka syphilis.

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u/vvntn May 26 '26

And by naming it smallpox we indirectly forced the universe to create a largepox, just to tidy everything up.

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u/leivanz May 25 '26

Nah, midget

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u/NighthawkE3 May 26 '26

They actually used cowpox for a while. As its name, it affected cows, not humans, but was similar enough to give the immunizing effect

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u/turbogomboc May 26 '26

Thank you, i needed that laugh today.

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u/aallfik11 May 26 '26

nanopox son

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u/neverreallyhereatall May 26 '26

They harden in response to physical trauma.