Sailors sent home for refusing shots

February 12 2003
By Mark Forbes
Defence Correspondent

At least three Australian sailors have been sent home from the Middle East after refusing to be vaccinated against anthrax.

One sailor, Able Seaman Simon Bond, claims senior officers threatened him after he refused to sign a consent form for the injection the day after HMAS Kanimbla left for a possible war against Iraq. The sailors were then flown back to Sydney.

Defence spokesman Brigadier Mike Hannan said the vaccinations were voluntary, but all members of the deployment force were expected to have them.

Iraq has held stocks of anthrax for possible use as a chemical weapon.

"It's a matter of the safety of the individuals," he said. "We vaccinate for all operational threats for which we have a suitable vaccine.

"If they refuse to be vaccinated it is our duty to remove the individual from the area of risk. No action is taken against the individual as a result."

More than 1000 vaccinations had already been given to the troops, resulting in nothing but mild side effects, Brigadier Hannan said. "There have been more than two million doses given around the world and it is very safe," he said.

Able Seaman Bond told The 7.30 Report he had been emailed details of the anthrax vaccine raising concerns about possible links to cancer. After the first Gulf War, there were also allegations linking vaccinations given to US troops to "Gulf War syndrome".

The request came as a complete surprise to the crew, he said, and many others submitted but were unhappy about it.

Able Seaman Bond said the Kanimbla's captain warned him he would have to leave the ship and might face administrative action.

Yesterday another contingent of troops left Townsville for duty overseas. Soldiers from the Army's 5th Aviation Regiment will head to the Middle East to pilot and support three heavy-lift CH-47 Chinook transport helicopters.

with AAP

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