I read that if you had a smallpox vaccination as a child in the 50’s and 60’s that you might be immune for life. Is that true?
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Personal anecdote: I have two smallpox scars. One is from my childhood vaccination and the other is from when I had to have the vaccination again in 1977 in order to enter Colombia. I was told that the second one would “not take” because I had been vaccinated as a child. It was a very nasty sore which finally scabbed over during my 3-week visit.
I’m 66 and was vaccinated as a small child but I remember my mom and doctor talking about it was the only one I’d ever need. Recently I read online that people that had it back then probably had enough immunity to combat another smallpox outbreak. I don’t overly fear things like flu, covid, etc. even though at my age with asthma they can get extremely nasty and even life threatening but nothing we have around today compares to smallpox in my opinion. I remember people that had smallpox and polio. Covid is a nasty cold compared to those two.
My DH and I were both vaccinated against smallpox when we were children.
In the early 80’s my husband had to travel to a country where smallpox boosters were recommended, however, the nurse who would have given him the shot advised him against it since I had a skin-related auto-immune disease.
Personal anecdote: I have two smallpox scars. One is from my childhood vaccination and the other is from when I had to have the vaccination again in 1977 in order to enter Colombia. I was told that the second one would “not take” because I had been vaccinated as a child. It was a very nasty sore which finally scabbed over during my 3-week visit.
When in the service in the early 80s, we (well at least my unit) were revaccinated for smallpox.
Wow, if that's true, I'm golden forever. Had to have the smallpox jab FOUR times as a child. The first 3 didn't "take" for some reason.