If you went to school in Malta, this photo will probably unlock a very specific memory, and maybe a bit of a shiver.

The Department of Information has shared a throwback image that many locals will instantly recognise: vaccine day at school. For some, it was just another date on the calendar. For others, it was the day that inspired more fear than exams ever did.

Long before permission slips, fancy clinics and after-school appointments, medical professionals would arrive at schools armed with syringes and calm reassurances, ready to administer essential childhood vaccines. While some pupils barely flinched, others spent the day anxiously watching the line inch forward.

Most remember lining up for the influenza vaccine, though older generations may recall more intimidating jabs – including the tuberculosis shot – complete with rolled-up sleeves, brave faces, and the occasional tear or two.

Love it or hate it, vaccine day is a shared school memory – one that still sparks debate, laughter, and the universal question: ‘Do you remember how scared we were?’

Who else still remembers lining up for this?