Typhoid Vaccine

In June 1911, the War Department formally issued a directive mandating typhoid vaccination for all federal military personnel entering service, including both Army and Navy recruits. Here's a detailed breakdown:

Timeline & Scope:

1. June 1911 – War Department Order

• As part of efforts to curb typhoid, General Surgeon General George Torney reported that the War Department designated typhoid vaccination as compulsory for every recruit entering federal service—encompassing both the Army and Navy

• This policy was a direct outcome of the exceptional success of the Army’s March 1911 mass vaccination along the Mexican border, where over 10,000 troops were protected, with only a single civilian teamster (who refused vaccination) succumbing to typhoid

2. Scope of the Mandate

• Covered all federal troops entering service, i.e. new Army enlistments and Navy personnel starting active duty

• The order applied to both Army and Navy branches, although the Navy enforced it fully by late 1911 into 1912, inoculating tens of thousands of sailors

3. Implementation & Impact

• Army rollout:

  • Began in March 1911 for deployed troops. By September 30, 1911, the policy was extended to the entire Army, achieving ~85% vaccination coverage by year’s end

  • Typhoid cases dropped from 2.43 per 1,000 (1910) to 0.08 per 1,000 (1911)

• Navy rollout:

  • Instituted vaccination between December 1911 and June 1913, with over 80,000 sailors immunized

  • Typhoid cases fell dramatically—from 361 cases in 1911 to 92 in 1912, and to 33 in 1913