BCG TB Vaccine Scar / Immigrant Shot Scar

About

The BCG TB Vaccine Scar, also known online as the Immigrant Shot Scar, refers to a specific scar left on the upper arm of people who, at one point, received the Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine to prevent tuberculosis (TB). The smallpox vaccine is known to leave a similar scar. The scar, which is circle- or oval-shaped with a slight indentation or crater, became the subject of online memes as early as 2017 when it is sometimes referred to as the "immigrant scar," painted as a way of identifying immigrants. In 2024, a series of memes highlighting the scars on actresses Anya Taylor Joy and Mia Goth's arms went viral, inspiring an increase in interest regarding the meaning of the scars.

Origin

The BCG vaccine is used to prevent TB. The BCG vaccine is mandatory and recommended in numerous countries, including much of Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.^[1][2] The BCG vaccine is known to leave a distinct, permanent scar on people who receive it. According to Science Direct,^[3] this is because:

The BCG vaccine contains live attenuated Mycobacterium bovis and following intradermal injection the BCG vaccine elicits a local immune response. This response most often results in an ulcer that heals over weeks and leaves a flat permanent scar at the injection site.

The earliest known meme to link the scar to immigrants is an image macro posted by the Facebook^[4] page African Memes on June 22nd, 2017, garnering over 4,600 reactions and 880 shares in seven years. The meme was reposted by the Facebook^[5] page Polish Memes on July 12th, garnering over 6,200 reactions and 800 shares in a similar span of time.

Spread

On April 12th, 2019, a meme about being able to identify Latino people by the scar was posted to the subreddit /r/LatinoPeopleTwitter,^[6] garnering over 1,200 upvotes in five years.

On September 23rd, 2024, X^[7] user @Indie5051 posted a photo of actress Anya Taylor Joy that circles her TB vaccine scar, writing, "Anya Taylor Joy hermana latinoamericana," garnering over 5,100 likes in two months.

On October 21st, X^[8] user @AcervoCharts posted two side-by-side photos of actresses Mia Goth and Anya Taylor Joy, circling their TB vaccine scars and writing, "✨ LATINAS ✨," garnering over 101,000 likes and 8,100 reposts in two weeks.

On October 29th, 2024, X^[9] user @creepydotorg posted the same side-by-side photos, writing, "Those who know…," implying a sinister meaning behind the scar, garnering over 5,800 likes in a week. On November 4th, a screenshot of the @AvervoCharts post with an additional comment was posted to Reddit's /r/PeterExplainsTheJoke,^[10] garnering over 32,000 upvotes in two days.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References