From George Washington to Covid: Vaccine mandates in US history

In light of the growing trend of federal and state vaccine mandates to combat surging levels of Covid-19, US Republican Representative Jim Jordan tweeted: “Vaccine mandates are un-American.”

Mr Jordan and other conservatives, both pundits and politicians, have expressed this sentiment, such as Mike DeWine, the governor of Mr Jordan’s home state Ohio, which is experiencing below national targets levels of vaccination.

However, as historical records show, vaccine mandates can be dated back to the days of the Founding Fathers, according to historians.