The Silent Scar: A Global Health Story Written on Immigrant Arms

Many immigrants bear a small scar on their upper arm, a silent testament to a global health battle fought in the past. This mark is a legacy of the BCG vaccine against tuberculosis, widely administered in the 1990s when TB was a global emergency. "It's a really interesting reason why so many immigrants around the world have this little scar on their upper arm," explains Jimmy Maio, a Northern Virginia resident who features the scar in his video. The BCG vaccine, containing a weakened strain of TB, allowed the body to develop immunity. While effective, it left a visible scar. The video shows that this scar is a sign that the vaccine worked. In the US and Canada, where TB rates are significantly lower, the BCG vaccine is used less frequently, resulting in fewer people with this distinctive mark. This scar serves as a reminder of a global health challenge and the effectiveness of past vaccination efforts.