Building upon the suite of protective measures already developed against these weapons, the United Kingdom embarked on a programme to provide the best available protection for British troops against the specific and highly lethal chemical and biological weapons that Iraq was believed to possess. Achieving this in the wider context of preparations for war required an intensive and sustained effort by the Ministry of Defence and other Government Departments and Agencies.
As part of these protective measures, a programme of immunisation against certain biological warfare agents was undertaken using three vaccines: anthrax and plague against the assessed threat of Iraqi biological war-fare agents and pertussis as an "adjuvant" to accelerate the immunisation effect of the anthrax vaccine.
Coalition air attacks began on 16 January 1991 and following the launch of a successful ground offensive a temporary cease-fire was agreed on 28 February 1991. A formal ceasefire took effect on 11 April 1991.
Policy and practice before and during Operation GRANBY was intended to ensure that Service personnel were as fit as they could be for what was expected to be a full scale conflict, in a demanding and hostile desert environment, with a risk of endemic and infectious disease.
In the event, military operations were little affected by disease and non-battle injuries. Both were well below historic levels for an overseas military deployment of this scale. Fatalities, both battle and non-battle numbered 47 and were considerably lower than what planners expected.