Finally George Washington ordered mandatory inoculations for all troops as soon as possible. This was the first medical mandate in American history. Many believed it was much too risky. Even Washington himself wavered initially, though he remained firm in the end.To offset the temporary loss of soldiers, doctors inoculated the various divisions of the Continental Army in five-day intervals. The military used private homes and churches as isolation centers to prevent spread of the disease. However, it was crucial to keep these mass inoculations top-secret. If the British found out, they would attack the weakened Continental Army.
Though gaining support was a slow and difficult process, the procedure proved successful. By late 1777, the Continental Army had curtailed the rampant spread of the disease. While smallpox cases still occurred, there were no massive-scale outbreaks. As a result, the Continental Army saw a surge of new recruits in 1777. Despite its controversial origins in Colonial American society, the publicized success made mass inoculations a cultural norm. |
