RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Rio de Janeiro was a wealthy city, but was beset by relatively frequent outbreaks of deadly diseases, principally yellow fever, smallpox and even bubonic plague.
In addition to these periodic surges, there was the constant presence of tuberculosis, measles, typhus and leprosy. For these reasons, President Rodrigues Alves gave extraordinary powers to the local government and health authorities of what was then Brazil’s capital to reduce infection in the city.
Some of the measures enacted included mass demolition of residential buildings in Rio’s centre, forcing thousands of poor Cariocas from their cortiços (tenement slums). In addition to this, anti-mosquito squads forcibly entered people’s homes to try to eliminate yellow fever transmitting mosquitoes. Notwithstanding their effectiveness, these actions were deeply unpopular with many ordinary Rio residents.
The final straw occurred on October 31st 1904, when Dr Oswaldo Cruz convinced parliament to pass a comulsory vaccine law, which meant that medical officials could enter people’s homes with the police in order to administer the smallpox vaccine by force.
In addition to the grievances listed above, and the attack on individual freedom, there were also false rumours spread that the vaccine harmed health and would have to be administered to the privates parts of individuals.
Discontent grew, and on November 5th, an anti-mandatory vaccination league was formed. Then, on November 10th, some of this group had a dispute with the police’this then descended into more than a week of violence and rioting.
Trams were overturned and set alight, shops looted, public amenities destroyed, and violence broke out between citizens and the armed forces. There was even almost a coup attempt as some cadet troops mutinied.
However, by revoking mandatory vaccination and declaring a state of siege, the Brazilian government managed to control the situation, and by November 18th the Revolt of the Vaccine was over. Thirty people were killed, 100 injured and around 1,000 arrested, about half of which were forcibly deported to Acre, then a remote federal territory.
Tragically, and somewhat predictably, smallpox then returned to Rio, with a deadly outbreak in 1908, which killed between 6,000 -10,000 Cariocas. The following year, mandatory vaccination was reintroduced and the process of smallpox’s elimination continued, which eventually led to the 1980 declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) that the illness had been eradicated.
The 1904 Vaccine Revolt occurred in a situation very different from that of modern Brazil in the era of Covid-19. However, the conflict between individual liberty and public health remains, with many questioning to what degree government should be able to restrict individual freedom to combat the novel coronavirus.
Fortunately only a minority — which we also see nowadays — were questioning basic scientific and health facts. Determining the best way for governments to navigate this delicate situation is still an open question.
President Alves could perhaps have had more success if he’d implemented his vaccination program more sensitively, and thousands of lives could have been saved if this was done correctly.
However, when it comes to Covid-19 or the modern anti-vaccination movement, the question remains open as to whether any emergency health measure can work without a degree of legal coercion. Over the coming months, we will have another example to add to the long historical record.
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