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January 10, 2003

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"U.S. May Classify Some Data on Disease Due to Terror Fears" Wall Street Journal (www.wsj.com) (01/10/03); Chase, Marilyn

A White House science aide warns that the United States' war on terrorism may push some federally funded projects to classified status under national-security law.  In a recent speech at the National Academy of Sciences, John Marburger, director of President Bush's Office of Science and Technology Policy, said the new law requires that researchers who apply for federal grants for classified projects receive special notification if they are approved for funding.  Such steps are taken to decrease the potential of medical discoveries falling into the wrong hands.  Marburger noted that most basic research for deadly bacteria or viruses has components that can be used to develop new vaccines or drugs, but if placed in the wrong hands, it also has the potential to be used in germ warfare.

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