• 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.