[Animats]

The BCG vaccine does exist, but it's an 90 year old live-virus vaccine with short-term side effects. Because it's a live-virus "natural" vaccine, it can't be used on people who are immunocompromised or have HIV. There's work on more modern vaccines.[1] No big successes yet.

The safety record of the BCG vaccine, in terms of permanent harm, is pretty good. But a normal side effect is "The usual expected reaction to BCG vaccination is redness and/or a small lump at the injection site, followed by a small ulcer (open sore) a few weeks later (usually less than 1 cm in diameter). The ulcer may last from a few weeks to months before healing to a small flat scar."[2] Mass vaccination will have parents screaming "my perfect baby has an open sore from the vaccine" on Instagram, with pictures.

The classic live-virus smallpox vaccine has similar side effects, by the way, plus a death rate of 1-2 per million.

Huge political problem. Remember all the screaming about the COVID vaccines, which are pure RNA, can't replicate, and have fewer side effects.

[1] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3349743/#s6

[2] https://www.rch.org.au/uploadedFiles/Main/Content/immunisati...

[gambiting]

>>Mass vaccination will have parents screaming "my perfect baby has an open sore from the vaccine" on Instagram, with pictures.

That's so weird to me given that literally everyone where I'm from(Poland) has this on their left arm. Nothing to post on Instagram about. It's as universal as having a belly button - not having a vaccine scar on your arm would be the thing to post about if anything.

[noneeeed]

Likewise. I grew up in the UK and there was no pushback at all from what I remember.

Although I do remember school being very strict about anyone whacking someone elses BCG arm.

[_heimdall]

> the COVID vaccines, which are pure RNA

This is misleading. Vaccines, including those for covid, generally include adjuvants to stimulate the immune system [1]. While I understand the point your making here, the covid vaccines were not syringes with pure RNA in them.

[1] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10222622/

[xyzzy123]

An interesting aside to this is the MIS BAIR study in Melbourne, which is looking at whether the BCG vaccine reduces the incidence of food allergies, eczema and asthma. https://www.mcri.edu.au/research/projects/misbair

[lazide]

Yeah, when it’s dress/tank top weather, you can see what part of the world people grew up in by the upper-left-arm scar.

[https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/tuberculosis/Pages/...]

[mark-r]

My upper left arm scar wasn't made by TB vaccine though, it was Rubella vaccine. I didn't associate it with aftereffects of the vaccine itself, it was the unique method of delivery - an airgun instead of a needle. Never seen that before or since.

[lazide]

The MMR vaccine doesn’t cause that type of scar. I’ve found nothing saying air vaccination guns do either.

Smallpox and TB vaccines both do though.

Perhaps you got a combo?

[mark-r]

They made a big deal of it, our entire elementary school got it at the same time. And they specifically said it was for German Measles, I don't think MMR had been invented yet. This would have been before 1970.

[lazide]

If pre 1970, you almost certainly got the smallpox vaccine too. At that time it was still an active problem and working to be actively eradicated.

[https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/smallpox-vacc...]

As far as I can tell, German measles vaccine doesn’t cause a scar anymore than MMR (it’s a sub component).

[mark-r]

I don't know why they would have hidden the fact that smallpox was included, anti-vax wasn't a thing at the time. But I'll admit the possibility.