Another vaccine can also leave a noticeable scar: BCG, which is used to protect against tuberculosis.
The two scars can look somewhat similar, but they aren’t necessarily identical.
BCG scars are often raised or irregular, while the traditional smallpox vaccination scar is characteristically circular and depressed. The location can also provide a clue, although scar appearance alone isn’t enough to reliably identify which vaccine caused it.
If you’re trying to determine your own vaccination history, old medical records are much more reliable than judging the scar alone.
Why Don’t Modern Vaccines Usually Leave Marks Like This?
Vaccination techniques have changed considerably.
The smallpox vaccine’s delivery method involved multiple punctures that produced a visible skin reaction.
Many modern vaccines are administered using a standard injection into the muscle or tissue beneath the skin, which generally doesn’t produce the same characteristic scar.
So if you’ve ever wondered why your childhood vaccinations didn’t
