• Red_October@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    1 day 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
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      1 day 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
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        18 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
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        1 day 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.