Oh wow, I said almighty tourista dollar like that is a bad thing! It's not just when it keeps diseases which can kill us secret.
As an aside, my DR. reported the case of smallpox he saw to the CDC at the time and he was not believed, he was told the disease did not exist.
My doctor was an old man (near retirement age) when he vaccinated me the second time. He had also given me my first one. He had lived through a time when small pox was still an active health threat. I remember him telling me that there was very little chance that I would have a second scar. He said that I was more than likely still immune from the first vacination. He said that is was very rare for a person to have a second scar. (I remember this because no teenage girl wanted an extra scar)
My husband was first vaccinated in the early 1950's and then again in the late sixties before a trip overseas . Same story here second vaccination didn't leave a scar. I remember people saying that the second one didn't take.
I remember that one girl in college had two scars and that she was the only one that I ever knew that had two scars.
My parents were both born in 1910, I know that they had been vaccinated long before I was born, either when they were young or as soon as the vaccine was available. Mom took a trip to Europe in the mid 1970's and was re-vaccinated at that time. She had no second scar. She figured she would since it had been so long since her first vaccination.
I know my dad had more than one but I don't know the years on his but again it only took once.
Now not being a doctor I don't know but I have a strong feeling that the immunity may last quite a long time since the second ones never seemed to take. I am hoping that this mini-history may give you some clue as how long and strong the immunity may really be.
Thanks for joining us! Nice to have a front line MD on the forum. Too much BS scare and misinformation! My wife is the head RN in a large family practice in N. Ca.. I'm a retired "legal drug pusher".
From what I have read from your posts, if I lived in your community, you could be our doctor!