May 1776, the United States lost the battle of Quebec [JG1] and retreated south because so many of the Continental troops contracted smallpox, while the Red Coats of the British Army were largely immune. Combat ineffective. Mission failure. Arguably, if not for smallpox, Canada might not be an independent country and we would have more States north of the Saint Lawrence River.
In the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, the unvaccinated French Army suffered 125,000 smallpox casualties[JG2] , compared to the vaccinated Prussian Army’s 8,400 cases. Guess who won.
In the Boer War of 1899-1902, British officials made the new-fangled typhoid-fever vaccine optional. The rates of typhoid infection and death were many-fold higher among those who opted out of vaccination.
In 1918, influenza virus killed more American troops than all the bullets, shells, and poison gas of the Germans. The report from an Army camp now part of Fort Riley, Kansas: “There are 1,440 minutes in a day. When I tell you there were 1,440 admissions in a day[JG3] , you will realize the strain put on our Nursing and Medical force.”
In the 1940s, the unvaccinated German Army [JG4] (Wehrmacht) suffered far more tetanus casualties than the vaccinated Luftwaffe (and vaccinated U.S. Armed Forces). My dad’s World War II dog tags have “T42 43” stamped into them to record his doses of tetanus toxoid.
In February 1996, influenza sickened 42% of the crew of the USS Arkansas [JG5] at sea, requiring the ship to abort its mission and limp back to port. Combat ineffective. Microscopic viruses. Mission failure. That year was a “normal” year for influenza severity, nowhere near as bad as 1918, but enough to cripple our warship.
In early 2020, COVID-19 viruses sidelined the mighty USS Theodore Roosevelt [JG6] for 10 weeks. With modern medicine, 10 weeks! The ship retreated to a cove at Guam while the crew convalesced. Combat ineffective.
I can cite more examples, if you want.
Time after time, battles have been won or lost based on which side was immune or infected. Vaccines strengthen troops and increase their readiness to fight and win. That’s been true since George Washington required smallpox immunity of the Continental Army in February 1777, aiming to avoid another defeat like Quebec.
Every good boss wants to maximize the productivity of workers on the job. But military units are different. Warriors fight and win as teams. Within military units, there is an interdependency among members not found in other workplaces.
In any military unit, the health of the radio operator has a direct bearing on every other member’s chance of achieving the mission and returning home safely. Same for the machine gunner. And the vehicle mechanic. And the medic/corpsman.
In mid-April, Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth may have thought he was helping troops when he made influenza vaccination voluntary[JG7] for the Active and Reserve Components of the Armed Services.
The Hill quoted [JG8] Hegseth as saying: “Our new policy is simple. If you, an American warrior entrusted to defend this nation, believe that the flu vaccine is in your best interest, then you’re free to take it. You should. But we will not force you. Because your body, your faith are not negotiable.”
In 2010-11, I spent months reviewing in depth the Bible, the Torah, the Koran[JG9] , and books sacred to Hindus and Buddhists. Those books describe lots of rules and expectations, but none of them forbid vaccination. The major religions [JG10] are consistent: their prime rules emphasize protecting health and preserving life.
Some people who avoid vaccines cite Paul's letter to the Corinthians (3:16-17), as they try to keep God's temple holy in the age of modern medicine. My suggestion is that they give greater credence to the gospel of Mark (7:18-23) quoting Jesus: “Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile …?" For Christians, no one outranks Jesus.
I encourage the Secretary to broaden his professional-development reading list to include more military medical history. The gospel of Mark is another good one.
In the 2000s, I ran US military vaccination programs on a global scale. I get how hard it is to move vaccines to each Reserve and Guard drilling station, keep the vaccine cold, and document all the doses. I never asked to see the statistics of how many Reservists and Guardsmen got their flu shots each year, knowing what a burden it was. But let’s not confuse discussion of “juice being worth the squeeze” with garbled pseudo-religious illogic.
The situation reminds me of members of an elite military unit in the mid-2000s who thought they were bigger and stronger than any mosquitoes, so tough they didn’t need no stinkin’ malaria prophylaxis. Mosquitoes are not impressed by bulging biceps. Mosquito dive bombers inflicted cerebral malaria, requiring those troops to be abruptly med-evaced out of theater. One died. Mission failure.
Personal choice for vaccination? A choice where your personal vulnerability can endanger your teammates? A choice to let your teammates down while you are sick-in-quarters? A choice to let your teammates deploy overseas while you get to stay Stateside? Troops don’t get to choose their pushups, weapons proficiency, or training in rain and mud. Vaccinations are part of military physical fitness. Maybe the Secretary can work from home if he gets infected, but our troops cannot.
Defense vaccination policy is best determined by the military surgeons general, after assessing the best medical intelligence. Decisions need to be made by experts with the scientific understanding of how to keep our forces strong – and with the least political posturing. Any other approach is a disservice to our Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen, Guardians, and Coasties. Disease epidemiology and scientific evidence evolve too quickly for political appointees to set vaccination policy.
Unvaccinated troops are vulnerable troops. If the radio operator, the gunner, the loadmaster, or the weapons chief declines vaccination and gets sick, the other troops in that unit have lost key talents that could mean losing the next battle. Or failing in the next homeland deployment.
The inverse is also true. Vaccinated troops literally develop interior body armor against viruses and bacteria that otherwise could kill or cripple them.
If you want readiness, you want vaccination. For you and your unit. If you want personal choice, I can suggest some readings in military history.
Colonel (Retired) John D. Grabenstein, RPh, PhD, is a 27-year Army veteran who specialized in vaccines since 1983. He is currently director for scientific communications for Immunize.org. He and his family are immune to many diseases, thanks to vaccination.
