Washington issued an order to have all troops inoculated against smallpox in a letter to President John Hancock on February 5, 1777. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon, Washington "implemented the first mass immunization policy in American history." Some left military service or were court-martialed over refusal to take the vaccine, AirForceTimes reports.īolton's claim, which has also been posted in the form of a meme by other people online, also holds water.Īccording to The Fred W. It was stopped once more after the judge ruled the FDA had not followed procedures, though restarted once further approvals were issued. However, once the vaccine received FDA approval the program began again. In 2003, a federal judge ruled that the military could not administer a vaccine that had not been fully licensed without consent, the Associated Press reports.
The mandatory vaccine program faced legal challenges. The page also noted that at that time "some members of the armed forces expressed concern that the vaccine could have health effects."ĭue to this, in 1999 Congress directed the CDC to launch the Anthrax Vaccine Research Program (AVRP) to study its safety. Biden has indicated he would support such a requirement.Īs Lieu pointed out, troops heading to "high risk" areas were previously ordered to receive the Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed (AVA) vaccine.Īccording to a page on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC) site: "In 1998, the Department of Defense (DoD) began the Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program (AVIP), a mandatory anthrax vaccination program to protect US forces assigned to areas deemed to be at high risk for weaponized B. The FDA is yet to approve a vaccine, and without this Austin would require a waiver from President Joe Biden to impose the mandate. We have proven processes with trusted and skilled medical professionals."ĭefense Secretary Lloyd Austin has said he will seek the president's approval to "make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon" approval by the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA) whichever comes first, the Associated Press reports. "Since the first days of basic training and throughout our service, we've received multiple vaccines. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a memo detailing proposed COVID vaccine rules reported by CNN and The Wall Street Journal, said: "Mandating vaccines in the military is not new. If it was good enough for George Washington, it's good enough for me."Īrmy Gen. "With the Continental Army constantly threatened by smallpox, Washington ordered all soldiers to be inoculated. national security advisor John Bolton, who referenced George Washington ordering troops to be inoculated against smallpox during the Revolutionary War.īolton wrote: "Ordering our military take the COVID vaccine has deep and honorable precedents. His tweet came in response to another from former U.S. "The military is at the tip of the spear and we need our troops protected against threats that can sicken or kill them."