Military vaccines

Did you know...

The first vaccinations issued to the military were ordered by George Washington in a gamble which saved the Revolutionary Army. The colonies were isolated from Europe for so long the threat of Small Pox had become almost forgotten, this also meant the colonist's immune system were not set up for the disease.  Small Pox did indeed break out, in the prison barges of the British, it spread like wildfire.

The disease hit the men at Valley Forge, men already weakened by lack of food, clothes,  and clean water. In order to stem the tide of the disease, George Washington resorted to a gamble. The General having heard of inoculation from the African slaves ordered the puss from the Small Pox ridden men to be smeared into the cuts of the healthy men. The disease spread slower this way, allowing the immune system to build up white blood cells and fight it.
A small percentage of the inoculated died, but the rest built an immunity and the cases of small Pox went from thousands to a few.