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AI Summary:
The U.S. military has rescinded numerous previously required vaccines before, and typically for reasons like changes in disease risk, safety concerns, or improved alternatives.
The U.S. military has rescinded numerous previously required vaccines before, and typically for reasons like changes in disease risk, safety concerns, or improved alternatives.
Notable examples:
- Adenovirus infection vaccine (older formulation)
- The original mandatory version used from 1971 was stopped in 1999 after production ceased, effectively ending the requirement. U.S. Department of Defense later reintroduced a new safer formulation in 2011, but the prior mandate ended for ~12 years. This is one of the rare true “rescinded then replaced” cases.
- Anthrax vaccine
- Mandated starting in the late 1990s for deploying troops. The mandate was partially halted/limited in the early 2000s after federal court challenges about approval status and safety oversight. While not permanently canceled, the broad mandatory policy was rolled back to a more restricted program tied to specific mission risk and FDA approval compliance. (Often cited as a rescinded/modified mandate depending on framing.)
- Smallpox vaccine
- Historically required when smallpox was a threat. Once the disease was declared eradicated globally (1980 via World Health Organization), routine military smallpox vaccination requirements were ended. It returned temporarily after 2001 only for certain biodefense deployment categories, not as a blanket mandate. (Eradication rescission is different from safety rescission, but still counts as a military requirement that was ended.)
