The marks can be seen because each time the needle was used to give the vaccine, it created small blisters. The place where the injection was given may become a little swollen for a short time, but it will go back to normal. However, after 6 to 8 weeks, a bump appears that looks like a mosquito bite and develops into a lump. Later on, it opens up, leaks liquid, and turns into a sore, which eventually heals and becomes a permanent scar.
Smallpox was eliminated in many Western countries by the early 1970s. Vaccinations stopped in the 1980s because the Variola virus was no longer present. The mark is a reminder from the past of a disease that used to be very dangerous.