[austinTparty]

Wow, you were vaccinated in the LATE 70s??? I was part of the first generation NOT to be vaccinated and I was born in 1969. My doc recommended I not be vaccinated because the threat was so minimal from the disease that (at the time) vaccination was a bigger risk than contracting the disease.

Thanks for posting useful and intelligent info on this. Vaccinations work; you cannot rely on herd immunity, especially in a very mobile, world-travelling society.

[Senator Pardek]

That's weird. I was born in late '67. My brother was born in March '66, and he has the scar, but I don't - because they must have discontinued it at that time.

[bonesmccoy]

Agreed. My doctor was smart. Today, he's in ailing health, but he correctly chose to give me the shot (i was born in the late 1960's like you). So, I should still have some immunity (if exposed, I expect to get ill but recover).

[gumbo]

The routine vaccination was ended in aro9und 1972. What are you doing getting it in the late 70's.

A relative of mine (born in the early 1900's) had to get the smallpox vaccination in the '70s before going abroad.

Up until 1982, as the article notes, vaccination was required for international travelers.

[Guenevere]

#8....I was vaccinated as a child.....also again in the 70's before I entered a 'school of nursing'....

....but now they're saying even that wouldn't be effective at this present time???????

[ninachka]

I was part of the first generation NOT to be vaccinated and I was born in 1969

I was born in 1969 at Doctor's Hospital in Manhattan, NYC and I was vaccinated against Smallpox. My parents were even vaccinated in the 1970's before they were supposed to go on a trip to Persia...a trip which ended up being cancelled because the Shah was deposed and exiled.

[Timesink]

I was part of the first generation NOT to be vaccinated and I was born in 1969.

I was born in 1970. I do not have any funky scars on my upper arms, but I have ALWAYS wondered what those freaky things were on so many other people's arms. And I seem to recall seeing plenty of them on people my age or younger, not just old people. Are there any other vaccinations that can cause those round scars? Is it possible to have gotten the vaccine and just have had a strong enough immune system to prevent the pustle from ever forming? (Hey, some people can go through serious chemo and never lose a single strand of hair.)

[dinodino]

I checked my immunization records today, and I was vaccinated in 7/76 (USN). I think immunization for the general (civilian) population ended much earlier, though.