Bring it!

Just got vaccinated against smallpox about 45 minutes ago, for my job. Unlike other vaccinations where you get a subcutaneous injection, this one was literally a "jab" (as Malaysians like to call injections). They take a bifurcated needle that looks lke a little fork and go pokepokepokepokepoke 15 times =P

Apparently it - the smallpox vaccine is the live vaccinia virus, the cause of cowpox - can make some quite nasty pustules on other parts of your body if you're not careful about not touching the lesion, being careful where you put your hands after changing the bandage, etc.

I hope the lesion doesn't last a long time. It's supposed to take about 3 weeks to scab and fall off - which is what they told me back in Standard 6 when I got the BCG at school (mass vaccination of schoolchildren is standard practice in a number of developing countries konon; not just Malaysia) and then it took three freaking months. Then again, that could have been my fault since being Miss Itchy Fingers, I kept picking at the scab and went swimming in the sea during a church camp.

On top of all the regular childhood stuff I've also been vaxed against Japanese encephalitis, typhoid, Hepatitis A, and rabies last spring in preparation for going to the Philippines. I have quite the l33t imm00n system now. ^_^