• SilverCode@lemm.ee
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    22 hours ago

    What if we only get, like, a little bit of measles? Like if I touch someone with measles very quickly. Just enough to get a small non-dangerous amount that is hardly noticeable by me but enough for my immune system to learn to fight it? Is there a possibility that that would work?

    • Red_October@lemmy.world
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      22 hours ago

      What if we just, like, gave you a little part of the measles? Like whatever’s on the outside of the virus, so your immune system can just know to attack that?

      • Mcdolan@lemmy.world
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        21 hours ago

        I think those were the first “vaccines”. Cut open a forearm and put some measle scabs from someone else in there. I could be completely wrong here though.

        • Ledericas@lemm.ee
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          12 hours ago

          that would variolation, aka smallpox lesions. i think measles dint have a vaccine until decades later. because its mostly respiratory virus.

        • medgremlin@midwest.social
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          20 hours ago

          It was using secretions from cowpox lesions as protection from smallpox. Cowpox is a similar, but much less dangerous pathogen, so it conferred some cross-immunity without risking actual smallpox infection.