In 1969, U.S. Navy inductees and recruits entering basic training (such as at Naval Training Center Great Lakes or San Diego) were administered a standard, intensive battery of compulsory immunizations to protect against communicable and tropical diseases during the Vietnam War era.

Standard Inoculations and Vaccines

While exact requirements varied slightly based on specific orders or upcoming operational assignments, standard processing procedures typically included:

• Smallpox (administered via scarification/needle, leaving a characteristic upper-arm mark)

• Tetanus-Diphtheria (Td toxoid)

• Typhoid

• Cholera

• Plague (frequently given to personnel during the Vietnam era regardless of immediate theater)

• Poliovirus (often oral polio vaccine, OPV)

• Influenza (seasonal or recurring updates)

• Typhus

• Bicillin (benzathine penicillin injections, widely remembered by recruits for severe muscle soreness in the buttocks or thighs)

Administration Methods

Recruits were typically marched through assembly-line stations upon arrival. A notable feature of medical processing during this era was the extensive use of multi-dose pneumatic jet injectors ("air guns") alongside traditional needles, allowing corpsmen to rapidly vaccinate large groups of incoming sailors.