Smallpox vaccine scars! What they look like and why

The smallpox scar is a reminder of a time when we collectively decided that a 30% mortality rate was unacceptable and that we had the tools and the will to change the course of human evolution. It is a symbol of a world that learned to listen to the warnings of the past and act for the sake of the future. As the generation that carries these marks begins to age, the physical evidence of the smallpox era will slowly fade from the world. But the lesson it leaves behind—that humanity is capable of defeating its most terrifying foes through unity and innovation—must remain etched in our collective memory.

If you happen to catch a glimpse of that peculiar ring on a bicep during a commute or while helping a neighbor, take a moment to appreciate what it signifies. It is a scar of survival, a mark of protection, and a silent, permanent celebration of one of the greatest victories ever achieved by the human race. It is the story of a virus that once ruled the world, and the humans who dared to tell it “no more.”