As a child, I was always curious about a small, circular scar on my mother’s arm, just below her shoulder. Years later, I saw the exact same scar on an elderly woman, which reignited my curiosity. When I asked my mother, she explained that it was from a smallpox vaccination.

Smallpox, once a deadly disease, caused rashes, high fevers, and often death. A global vaccination campaign led to its eradication, with routine vaccinations stopped by 1972 in the U.S. The scar from the vaccine became a visible symbol of immunity.

Unlike modern vaccines, the smallpox vaccine was applied with a bifurcated needle, leaving a mark that often turned into a permanent scar as the body healed. That scar on my mother’s arm is a lasting reminder of a disease that is no longer a threat.