Do you have an immunization scar?

[Dee Dee Warren]

I have found out that at some point immunizations were done differently so that now you don't get that round circular scar on your arm or back with the tiny dots in it. Mine pretty much went away or else I am totally smoking crack remembering seeing it (my husband has one very prominently), but most are prominent. Who has it and who doesn't?

[NeilUnreal]

I had one; now it has all but vanished.

-Neil

[Spokoina]

I had one; now it has all but vanished.

-Neil


If you are talking about the one on the arm, that doesn't seem to tan in the summer, my three of my kids have it.

What it was for them was a tuberculosis vaccine given while we were in Russia. There, TB is still a problem, and they routinely still vaccinate kids for it.

My last daughter and my first born son, one born in Canada and the other in NYC were not required to get the TB vaccine since it was not a big enough problem in these two countries.

[mossrose]

Is that the polio immunization, DD? My husband has a large one, but I do not. I am 9 years younger than he is, and I remember getting a very small needle in my inner forearm, and then, for the booster, we had pink stuff on sugar cubes.

The needle on my forearm was a set of 6 tiny needles, making a round shape, probably not more than about a quarter of an inch in diameter. It is not there now, though.

[Piebald]

I don't see anything but the old 616 birthmark. Were they doing this in the 80s?

[Spokoina]

Is that the polio immunization, DD? My husband has a large one, but I do not. I am 9 years younger than he is, and I remember getting a very small needle in my inner forearm, and then, for the booster, we had pink stuff on sugar cubes.

The needle on my forearm was a set of 6 tiny needles, making a round shape, probably not more than about a quarter of an inch in diameter. It is not there now, though.


If I am not mistaken, that round thing is a TB test to see if you have had tuberculosis in your system by testing for the antibodies.

The TB vaccine, as I have said, I am absolutely sure leaves a big round scar on the upper arm.

[Dee Dee Warren]

I wish I could find a picture. The circle looks like a scar from a car cigarette lighter, about that size. It is usually on the upper left arm though mine was on my back which I heard was because babies were picking at the one on the arm.

[Piebald]

[attachment=1]
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[Dave G]

I don't have one. Can't remember when I was immunized, probably around 1974 or so.

[Tickle Me Goody]

I have found out that at some point immunizations were done differently so that now you don't get that round circular scar on your arm or back with the tiny dots in it. Mine pretty much went away or else I am totally smoking crack remembering seeing it (my husband has one very prominently), but most are prominent. Who has it and who doesn't?

Wow!

You are a lot older than I would have guessed


GG

BTW -- I wanna apple on my Bar. The days that you at Tweb failed to allow us to post far exceded the number of days by which I missed your "magic date deadline".


Now they say that you are fair. Is that true or not!

Huh? Is it? huh?

GG

[mossrose]

DD, that is exactly what my husband has on his upper arm. There may have been a difference in the way the STates did them and the way Canada did them. He was born in the States, and I was born in Canada.

But it might also be the age difference. Since he is 9 years older than I am, they may have changed the way they did them by the time I came around. And I am older than you are......

GG, take your meds, sweetie, and have a nice nap. :hug:

[technomage]

First GG cracks wise about Dee Dee's age, then asks for an apple?

Can you say chutzpah?

Justin

...Not even sure if I can spell chutzpah....

[Trout]

I have the car cigarette lighter looking scar. Left arm.

[Tickle Me Goody]

First GG cracks wise about Dee Dee's age, then asks for an apple?

Can you say chutzpah?

Justin

...Not even sure if I can spell chutzpah....

Wiccans are known to be poor spellerrs

and generaly not too wise.

GG

[technomage]

Wiccans are known to be poor spellerrs

and generaly not too wise.

GG
Remember what happened last time you irritated me, GG. :me:

[Dee Dee Warren]

I have been married for 16 years. Do the math.

[Trout]

That would make you about 32 in Mormon country.

[Teallaura]

Okay.
First, for you youngsters - you don't have one because you are too young to have been vaccinated for Small Pox - that's what that scar is.
Mossy, your kids had the TB tine - beats me as to why exactly, but it's not a vaccination, it's a test.
Hammy, where'd you find that picture? It looks like a chancre! Ewwwwww!!!!!:eww:
And yes, while it has faded, I do have a small pox vaccination scar - so I'm old!:shrug:

[Piebald]

That picture was found after a search for "TB scar"

[Tickle Me Goody]

First GG cracks wise about Dee Dee's age, then asks for an apple?

Can you say chutzpah?

Justin

...Not even sure if I can spell chutzpah....

You cannot even spell your own culture --let that of an other!

[Teallaura]

That picture was found after a search for "TB scar"Thanks - professional curiousity - I've seen chancres that look just like that. Scary!

[technomage]

You cannot even spell your own culture --let that of an other!
Carefull, GG ... you're already going incoherent, leaving out words and the like.

Got a frog in your throat? :hehe:

[Abigail]

My scar is on under my foot on my heel

[Dee Dee Warren]

why don't they do the smallpox one any longer?

[NeilUnreal]

Why don't they do the smallpox one any longer?

Smallpox has theoretically been eliminated in the wild. Even as early as the 1970's there was so little smallpox around some scientists believed the odds of complications from the immunization made it riskier that not being immunized.

-Neil

[Teallaura]

There have been no recorded 'wild' cases (or any other) since '77 - the last being in Somalia.

SOURCE (http://www.saintelizabethonline.com/body.cfm?id=730)

[Cyrus Johnson]

Smallpox has theoretically been eliminated in the wild. Even as early as the 1970's there was so little smallpox around some scientists believed the odds of complications from the immunization made it riskier that not being immunized.

-Neil

Right. Routine vaccinations in the U.S. were stopped in 1972 for just that reason, although biologists working on the virus still received it. Nowadays even they have pretty much stopped working on it.

According to the CDC, if a population of 300,000,000 were to be vaccinated, you'd expect 300,000 serious reactions (requiring treatment or hospitalization), including between 4000 and 16,000 potentially life-threatening reactions and 300-600 fatalities.

Given that, unless you're actually facing a possible outbreak, it's best to leave the vaccine on the shelf.

[Middle Aged C]

I must then be officially "old" because I do in fact, have the arm scar!



I shall now officially call myself "wise" too! :lol:

[NeilUnreal]

Routine vaccinations in the U.S. were stopped in 1972 for just that reason...

Yeah, my last was in 1975, but we were living in part of the world that was considered marginally at risk even though no new cases had been reported. It was elective, but moms being moms, my sister and I got hauled to the dispensary and jabbed (or scraped, IIRC). The event was duly noted in my official WHO immunization booklet, which I have to this day, and which contains a record of every immunization and TB test I've ever had :lol:

-Neil

[Cyrus Johnson]

Yeah, my last was in 1975, but we were living in part of the world that was considered marginally at risk even though no new cases had been reported. It was elective, but moms being moms, my sister and I got hauled to the dispensary and jabbed (or scraped, IIRC). The event was duly noted in my official WHO immunization booklet, which I have to this day, and which contains a record of every immunization and TB test I've ever had :lol:

-Neil

That sounds like a handy thing to have. I have a faint circular scar on my left bicep, presumably a vaccination or booster for something although I don't know what now. I do recall taking a typhoid vaccination (orally) when I was in the army, and that one made me sick as a dog.

[NeilUnreal]

That sounds like a handy thing to have.

I think it's a good idea. I would recommend especially that every parent get an immunization record book and keep a record of all the immunizations for their children. I'm sure the cost of obtaining one is nominal or free through public health services. I don't know about recent ones, but mine is roughly the same size and shape as a passport, which makes it handy to keep the two together for travel, etc.

-Neil

[mossrose]

It's quite frightening to realize that some diseases that we thought were eradicated are now making a comback in some parts of the world. I understand that polio is showing up again in some areas of central and south America.

[Sparko]

Sheesh you guys are young.

It was not for TB. It was Smallpox innoculations. And yes I got one on my arm. They stopped immunizing for small pox in 1972.

[TheAnalogman]

I have been married for 16 years. Do the math.

30, in certain parts of PA, WVA, etc.

[Cyrus Johnson]

Sheesh you guys are young.

It was not for TB. It was Smallpox innoculations. And yes I got one on my arm. They stopped immunizing for small pox in 1972.

Yeah, we know. See post #27.

[sing27]

Yeah, we know. See post #27.

Okay, this may date me, but I have one scar and 1/2. The 1/2 scar from my second smallpox vaccination has nearly completely disappeared. I had to get it before going to Europe. The nurse said that it was light because I still had some immunity from my first vaccination. :teeth:

[Spokoina]

Sheesh you guys are young.

It was not for TB. It was Smallpox innoculations. And yes I got one on my arm. They stopped immunizing for small pox in 1972.


Well I did check the arms of my kids, and yes, they have a TB scar on their upper left arms from a TB vaccine. So yes, small pox was given there, and TB as well.

My kids had no small pox vaccines, only TB.


"The vaccine is injected into the skin, over either the shoulder or hip, and the resulting reaction is not unlike that which occurred when people were vaccinated against small pox."
http://www.lung.ca/tb/tbhistory/prevention/vaccine.html

So if you are younger than when the small pox vaccine stopped, you could have a TB scar, as my kids do.

;)