I was in fourth grade at Denali Elementary School in Fairbanks in 1954-1955 and we (the students) got mandatory Salk vaccine shots for polio. There was some polio going round in Fairbanks the previous year, I believe; my younger sister Patty confirmed this. A parent could opt out, I think with a letter, but otherwise, school officials took us out and lined us up in a line going through the nurse’s office. I was scared of shots! That is why I vividly remember the process.
Another thought on vaccine mandates: There never was a choice in the military! When you were inducted, you had no choice; you would get a full battery of different shots. When did this policy change (for both schools and the military)?
— Mike Scanlan
Anchorage
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