When I was a child, I noticed a peculiar scar on my mother’s upper arm — a ring of small indents surrounding a larger one. It fascinated me for a while, but like many childhood curiosities, I eventually forgot about it.
Years later, while helping an elderly woman off a train, I noticed the same type of scar in the same spot. My curiosity returned instantly. When I asked my mother about it, her answer surprised me: it was from the smallpox vaccine. Continue reading…
