Does anyone here remember the smallpox or TB vaccine

[MattA7]

As I’m 26 I was born after such vaccines were routinely given to the general population but from what I hear they were pretty horrific vaccines that left permanent scars (although not near as bad as the diseases they prevent)

 

[John Webb]

As far as I recall (born in 1946) the smallpox vaccine was not routinely given. But roundabout 1958 or 59 there was a smallpox outbreak in my area of SE London and I can remember queuing outside a local health centre to receive the vaccine by a sort of scratch arrangement on the upper left arm (or upper right if you were left-handed). The scar faded away over several years.

TB: Don't remember this at all. There was something we were given on a sugar cube - or was that the polio vaccine?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The sugar cube was the polio vaccine, yes.

I do remember one particular multiple vaccination at school where the medics used some kind of device that had about seven needles on it arranged in a circle! We used to wind up those who were still in the queue for it by telling them that the needles moved around in a circle...!!!

 

[HBP]

I do remember one particular multiple vaccination at school where the medics used some kind of device that had about seven needles on it arranged in a circle!

I hear they were pretty horrific vaccines that left permanent scars

I had mine done in 1983 and still have a visible, slightly raised scar on my upper left arm.

 

[JohnMcL7]

The sugar cube was the polio vaccine, yes.

I do remember one particular multiple vaccination at school where the medics used some kind of device that had about seven needles on it arranged in a circle! We used to wind up those who were still in the queue for it by telling them that the needles moved around in a circle...!!!

Wasn't that the heaf test to see if you needed the vaccination or not? I remember getting that on my arm and desperately hoping the bumps would form and show I didn't need the injection and was extremely relieved they were very well defined. I don't remember the main vaccination being 'horrific' (I'm just awful with needles) but it does usually leave a small permanent mark, do they not give out this vaccination now?

 

[GusB]

I was vaccinated against TB in my second year in secondary school. I definitely recall the "skin test" on my lower arm which had the little needles in a circle, and it was relatively painless because it was over in a split second. The actual BCG vaccination was a rather more painful affair and I recall it taking quite a while to do. I've still got a small mark on my upper arm, but it's barely noticeable.

We had a tetanus shot in fourth year and in comparison it was far less unpleasant.

I hadn't realised that they weren't routinely carried out in schools any more.

 

[DelW]

I remember having the multiple needle one at secondary school in the 1960s, though I think it looked more scary than it felt.
One of the inoculations I had caused a blister, which left a small permanent mark, though I don't remember it being painful.
At that time polio was regarded as a real threat, and acceptance of the vaccine was pretty well universal among everyone I knew.

 

[jfollows]

I remember having to be vaccinated against smallpox and yellow fever in 1968 prior to travelling to Nigeria. We had to make a trip to the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, which is still there, in order to be vaccinated. The smallpox vaccine was a small scratch which left no marks on me, anyway.

I had the polio vaccine in 1984 when I visited Malawi, where it was still prevalent. I managed to get it without the sugar lump, thankfully, because I was aged 22 and my tastes no longer included sugar lumps. This was probably also a "booster" and I possibly did have the sugar lump when I was very much younger.

I had the BCG vaccination at school in Manchester, aged around 13. I had virtually no reaction to the skin test and the vaccination itself was delivered through some kind of fine spray rather than a needle. I tend not to have allergies or reactions to drugs so again no lasting marks on me.

In 1968 the idea of a GP giving vaccinations was unthinkable, hence our trip to Liverpool. Yesterday I walked round the corner to my GP in Wilmslow for a 'flu shot, the first time I've had this, the whole process incredibly easy.

 

[OneOffDave]

All the childhood vaccines have been delivered by GPs since at least the mid 50s. Specialist travel related ones like smallpox and yellow fever needed specialist centres. Yellow fever still tends to be in special travel clinics. It's effectively impossible to be vaccinated for smallpox these days as it's been eradicated.

TB is no longer in the routine vaccination schedule as the incidence is so low across the population it's more effective to vaccinate around outbreaks than blanket the whole population

 

[Senex]

I remember having the multiple needle one at secondary school in the 1960s, though I think it looked more scary than it felt.
One of the inoculations I had caused a blister, which left a small permanent mark, though I don't remember it being painful.
At that time polio was regarded as a real threat, and acceptance of the vaccine was pretty well universal among everyone I knew.

When the polio vaccine first came on the scene it was the American Salk one, and I seem to remember there was a very slight risk with it — anyway, all our parents were asked whether they agreed to their offspring getting it, and such was the fear of polio that the response (in my school anyway) was overwhelmingly affirmative. I think it was ony a pretty short time until the British sugar-lump vaccine came on the scene and took over completely. And those were the days, of course, when we were always told "British is best".

 

[Welly]

I remember getting the BCG vaccination at school when I was 13 in the 1980s, the site was sore for a couple of weeks after but I was happy to accept this as a small price to avoid getting TB! I never received the smallpox vaccination though.

 

[jfollows]

All the childhood vaccines have been delivered by GPs since at least the mid 50s.

Thank you, you're right of course, I just didn't remember my childhood vaccines from my GP and my first memory is of the smallpox & yellow fever vaccination which came later and necessitated a trip to Liverpool.

I see that yellow fever is still in existence, although I'm not sure whether vaccination against it is required as much as it was in the 1960s. I remember my mother's passport at the time filled up with papers showing proof of vaccination for her three children when we all went to Nigeria in 1968.

I remember subsequently hearing that smallpox had been eradicated and thinking "shame, the vaccination against it was such a non-event", which of course was one of the reasons for its eradication.

 

[OneOffDave]

I see that yellow fever is still in existence, although I'm not sure whether vaccination against it is required as much as it was in the 1960s. I remember my mother's passport at the time filled up with papers showing proof of vaccination for her three children when we all went to Nigeria in 1968.

'Wild' polio has now been effectively eradicated in Africa the WHO announced recently which is fantastic news.
Only a handful of countries require proof of Yellow fever vaccination now if you are coming from a country that does not have it, mostly in sub-saharan Africa. For those interested, https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/ is pretty definitive about what's needed when travelling

 

[route101]

Remember getting two or 3 jabs at School. Polio and BCG in High School, i think 2nd and 3rd year.

 

[MattA7]

I believe some countries still continue to vaccinate their military against smallpox and the smallpox vaccine is effective against some other viruses so continues to be in use (albeit only in special circumstances)

 

[GRALISTAIR]

The sugar cube was the polio vaccine, yes.

I do remember one particular multiple vaccination at school where the medics used some kind of device that had about seven needles on it arranged in a circle! We used to wind up those who were still in the queue for it by telling them that the needles moved around in a circle...!!!

1970 I had mine. Remember all this vividly including the sugar cube one

 

[OneOffDave]

I believe some countries still continue to vaccinate their military against smallpox and the smallpox vaccine is effective against some other viruses so continues to be in use (albeit only in special circumstances)

Yes, often used after potential exposure to Monkeypox

 

[eMeS]

I was born in 1938, and did National Service in the RAF, 1957-9. I was vaccinated against smallpox when quite young, and the scar is just about visible. Other childhood disease names I remember are diphtheria, and scarlet fever - I suffered whooping cough with other lung type lurgies when I was approaching 5, and really was very ill for a 3 month period - no antibiotics for civilians at the time. (How did my parents pay for the alternate day visits from the GP? The NHS wasn't around in 1943.)

In my late teens, when standing in queue for my National Service TABT inoculations, the medic thought I looked too pale (i.e. about to faint), and moved me onto a stretcher. Similarly, the medics ceased taking blood whenever I was donating it, because again, I looked too pale; but I've never fainted and my blood group isn't that common.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I was amazed when I heard they stopped doing TB jabs, it seemed and seems very short-sighted as TB rates rise. I'm 37 and it's mad that people a few years younger than me won't have had it.

I have a very clearly defined scar on my upper arm from the TB jab, about the size of a 5p. It hurt being done, then blistered and weeped for ages. So much for it "not leaving a mark" as the nurse tried to claim. Better than getting TB I suppose.

 

[DerekC]

Prompted me to read up about the BCG vaccine, which I had in the first wave of mass immunisation of teenagers, about 1960 (I think). I remember it weeping and I do have a small scar. Evidently the UK strain of non-virulent TB bacillus (which is what they inject you with) worked whereas the US version didn't, so the US never did have mass TB immunisation. TB has (according to the article I read) killed more humans than any other single organism - so I am glad I had it!

 

[MattA7]

Strangely the UK seems to be the only country that doesn’t routinely vaccinate against hepatitis B (Nearly all other countries do)

according to the CDC the following are recommended For most people nowadays

Chickenpox (Varicella)
Diphtheria
Flu (Influenza)
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b)
HPV (Human Papillomavirus)
Measles
Meningococcal
Mumps
Pneumococcal
Polio (Poliomyelitis)
Rotavirus
Rubella (German Measles)
Shingles (Herpes Zoster)
Tetanus (Lockjaw)
Whooping Cough (Pertussis )

And the following for those at high risk e.g travel occupation

Adenovirus
Anthrax
Cholera
Japanese Encephalitis (JE)
Rabies
Smallpox
Tuberculosis
Typhoid Fever
Yellow Fever

 

[Bletchleyite]

As I’m 26 I was born after such vaccines were routinely given to the general population but from what I hear they were pretty horrific vaccines that left permanent scars (although not near as bad as the diseases they prevent)

It wasn't pleasant, the needle was quite large and quite painful, and it was somewhat of a "can you keep a straight face" challenge for teenage lads at school. Yes, it leaves a scar, most people over the age of about 35 will have it on their upper arm.

 

[Cowley]

It wasn't pleasant, the needle was quite large and quite painful, and it was somewhat of a "can you keep a straight face" challenge for teenage lads at school. Yes, it leaves a scar, most people over the age of about 35 will have it on their upper arm.

It wasn’t pleasant I must say. I think I had it in about 1985, but for some reason I’m one of the few people I know that doesn’t have even a trace of a scar from it.

 

[Steveoh]

Well I don't know about you lot, but after we'd the BCG vaccination there was a three week or so period where it was "fun" to punch people on the site of the jab. I still have the scar and I managed to break my arm over the site of the original heaf test so I had to have the jab the next year. Lucky me that next to noone else had the jab at the same time in my year. That was a fun few weeks avoiding the punches...

 

[route101]

BCg vaccination was still being admistered at 15 years ago in Scotland.

 

[DB]

I had the TB one (not sure exactly when they stopped it).

The first stage was the heaf test. If this healed up then the vaccination was given.

They were both given on the left arm (right arm if the person was left-handed), with the heaf test being somewhere near the wrist as I recall, and the actual vaccination on the upper arm. The heaf test didn't leave any trace; the actual vaccination did leave a small circular scar.

Certainly wouldn't say there was anything 'horrific' about it.

 

[madannie77]

I have just had a look and I can see no sign of a scar where the TB vaccination was applied. I am sure there was a small scar, but I can't find it now.

There was plenty of warning beforehand from the older kids in school about how painful it was, but I remember very little pain at all from the injection. There was a fine bruise for some time, as I have always bruised easily, but I actually found the Heaf test more painful than the injection. I was not alone in this, either, as one of my best friends at the time passed out after the Heaf test but was fine with the actual vaccination.

 

[Bletchleyite]

There was plenty of warning beforehand from the older kids in school about how painful it was, but I remember very little pain at all from the injection. There was a fine bruise for some time, as I have always bruised easily, but I actually found the Heaf test more painful than the injection. I was not alone in this, either, as one of my best friends at the time passed out after the Heaf test but was fine with the actual vaccination.

Interesting, as the 6 pronged test looked fearsome but I didn't feel that at all.

 

[Royston Vasey]

Strangely the UK seems to be the only country that doesn’t routinely vaccinate against hepatitis B (Nearly all other countries do)

according to the CDC the following are recommended For most people nowadays

Chickenpox (Varicella)
Diphtheria
Flu (Influenza)
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b)
HPV (Human Papillomavirus)
Measles
Meningococcal
Mumps
Pneumococcal
Polio (Poliomyelitis)
Rotavirus
Rubella (German Measles)
Shingles (Herpes Zoster)
Tetanus (Lockjaw)
Whooping Cough (Pertussis )

And the following for those at high risk e.g travel occupation

Adenovirus
Anthrax
Cholera
Japanese Encephalitis (JE)
Rabies
Smallpox
Tuberculosis
Typhoid Fever
Yellow Fever

I think I've had all of these for occupational health purposes for business travel to some exotic destinations, plus a few more (!) I definitely had the "six pricks" and TB injection at secondary school in the mid 90s

 

[Tetchytyke]

was somewhat of a "can you keep a straight face" challenge for teenage lads at school

At our school we pretended it hurt loads and we were all feeling faint and nauseous to try and get sent home early.

It didn't work. Even though I actually did feel like ****e after it