I am reading a series right now and in it the main character talks about her smallpox vaccination. I don’t have the scar (born 1969), but Lloyd does. What happened there? Was it not required where I was born (Missouri, but grew up in Colorado after age 2)? Lloyd was born in Illinois but grew up in Missouri. What’s going on with that?
I remember in kindergarten (?) getting some red liquid on a sugar cube. Google tells me that was my polio vaccination. Really, Google? Were you there?
Brad says
I don’t have scar either. I have no memories of vaccinations or sugar cubes at all. Well, that’s not entirely true. I have a scrap of a memory about some coffee-supply storage area at church that had sugar cubes and I sneaked one once. I don’t think it had a polio vaccination in it though.
Karla says
I have a scar, and I remember a soaked sugar cube. But I don’t know if that was in Michigan (birth to 5) or Missouri (5 +).
Beth says
I have neither. You people are old.
Peggy says
I remember getting that dreadful smallpox shot. Yes, shot. I remember that ‘gun’ being placed on my little 1st grade arm & WHAM! I think I even remember the sound it made. I didn’t know how to cuss then, so I just cried.
I just looked up the instrument they used & it’s called a jet injector gun. I remember it seemed like a cannon.
http://hcvets.com/data/occupational/munji/images/oldsty4.jpg
But then they sweetened the experience by giving me the sugar cube. Mmmmm….(hey, I wonder if this is when my ‘have something sweet after something unpleasant’ pattern started)
Jill says
Mmm…sugar cubes…
Mom says
Lloyd got his in Illinois. Shot went out sometime after that. All those shots made the illness go away. Glad it isn’t required now.
Lisa says
I do have the scar. I was born in the early 60’s and can tell you that Smallpox was eradicated by the mid to late 70’s which is probably why you never got the vaccine. I received mine in either 1969 or 1970 and was probably one of the last groups to ever get the vaccine.