Armed Forces Voluntary Immunization and Heath Justice Act of 2004

H.R. 5166, the Armed Forces Voluntary Immunization and Health Justice Act of 2004, sought to make the Department of Defense's anthrax and smallpox vaccination programs voluntary rather than mandatory for service members. The bill proposed requiring informed consent for these vaccines and mandated the clearing of records for any military personnel previously punished for refusing them. Additionally, the legislation called for official assessments of biological threats and the long-term health effects of these vaccines, while establishing a national center to research health issues related to military deployments.