 Prophylactic vaccines are crucial in modern healthcare for combating bacterial and viral infectious diseases, resulting in the eradication of smallpox and near- eradication of polio, with most currently used vaccines based on established platforms but many candidates using novel ones. However, historically there were ethically questionable approaches to testing vaccines and germ warfare against native populations, providing valuable insights for future healthcare dilemmas and controversies regarding influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. This article was authored by Vasal Kesa and Iqbal Ramzan.