1904

The first mandatory vaccine ended in a revolt.

On October 31, 1904, a law made the smallpox vaccine mandatory. Without proof of vaccination, people could not get a job, enroll in school, stay at a hotel or get married.

Days later, Rio de Janeiro came to a halt. The Vaccine Revolt (Revolta da Vacina) lasted from November 10 to 16. The official toll: 30 dead, 110 wounded, 945 arrested and 461 people sent away to Acre, in the Amazon.

The government dropped the requirement. In 1908, a smallpox epidemic killed about 6,400 people in the city.