Anybody ever get the smallpox vaccination?

[NFBuck]

I got it on Wednesday and the side effects are really starting to kick in. For those that don't know, it's not an injection like your standard flu vaccination or tetanus shot, but a bifurcated (two pronged) needle that they jab into your arm about 4-5 times.

Anyway, after a few days a small sore/rash develops, eventually growing into a blister that fills with pus and eventually drains before scabbing up and falling off.

The sensible side effects are a burning sensation near the injection sight and itchiness as well. Well, I haven't had much burning, but the iching is driving me up the [censored]ing wall, and you can't scratch the damn thing.

From what I understand, it just gets worse as time goes on before it is completely healed after 3-4 weeks. Just wondering if anybody else has gone through this madness. I'm sure our military folk on the board have been through it as well. The itching is driving me right out of my mind.

[tedginn05]

Dude that is nasty.

I'm scared [censored]less of needles. I had to get blood drawn last week and hated every moment leading up to it. It wasn't as bad as I thought, but I still hated it.

You wouldn't get that needle in me, unless you numb my whole arm.

[buck1973]

Yeah, we had to get it before we went to Iraq. My wife had the vaccine when she was a kid, so she had to get stuck 15 times instead of five. I don't remember mine burning, but it itched like crazy. Once the scab formed, the it itched a lot less.

[BuckeyeRyn]

yes, I got this when I was a kid... I don't remember too much about it, probably because all other possible side effects were masked by the insane amount of itching. Sorry, hang in there.

[Spazztic1]

Yeah I got thi after we got to the desert. It sucked. But once it scabbed over it wasn't as bad. Just had to be careful and make sure you washed your hands a lot to make sure it didn't spread or get in your eyes. One guy had a really bad reaction to it and his entire shoulder was all sore and rashed. Hang in there.

[bucks4me]

I never had the smallpox shots but I had the anthrax shots while in the service. This is a 7 step process and then a shot every year. I don't remember the spacing of the shots but I think the first 3 or 4 that you get are 2 weeks to a month apart. These shots don't hurt going in but your arm gets extremely tight in that area for a long period of time which hurts big time. We used to punch each other in the arm the day after we got the shot just to help loosen up the area. I know it sounds funny but it really did help.

[BuckeyeSkins]

When I started school back in ought 6, it was a requirement that all children starting school receive the small pox vaccination. Then I got it again when I was in the military. You're right.....the itiching is probably the worst thing about it.