The marks are easy to see because each time the needle was used, a small amount of the vaccine was injected, creating blisters. The place where the shot was given may get a little swollen for a short time, but it will go back to normal. However, after 6 to 8 weeks, a bump appears that looks like a mosquito bite and develops into a lump. Later on, it opens up, leaks liquid, and turns into a sore, which eventually heals and becomes a permanent scar.
Smallpox was eliminated in most of the Western world by the early 1970s. Vaccinations stopped in the 1980s because people were no longer at risk of getting the Variola virus. The mark is a reminder of a disease that was once very dangerous.
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