WCA honors Air Force Captain who refused vaccine

Air Force Capt. John Buck is a medical doctor who, in the greatest tradition of the United States Armed Services, has shown extraordinary courage in the face of adversity.  http://www.wcanews.com/archives.htm In his case, however, the battlefield wasn’t in the jungles of Vietnam or the deserts of Iraq, but the quagmire of military medical politics.

Capt. Buck, an emergency room physician, is the first American serviceman to face court-martial for refusing to be subjected to the anthrax vaccine. He has become the center of a raging debate about the controversial drug and has been outspoken in his opposition to the military’s mass inoculation plan.

The Pentagon has ordered more than 2.4 million active-duty and reserve military personnel—including many who will most likely never see combat—to be vaccinated against anthrax. The order stemmed from fears that hostile nations or terrorists could use anthrax spores in germ warfare.

However, opponents of the plan argue that the drug has never been properly tested and the long-term affects are unknown.

Even a report prepared by the majority staff of the Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans Affairs and International Relations, criticized the government’s Anthrax Vaccination Immunization Program (AVIP). Its report, dated Feb. 17, 2000, noted that the subcommittee “finds the AVIP a well-intentioned but overwrought response to the threat of anthrax as a biological weapon... As a health care effort, the AVIP compromises the practice of medicine to achieve military objectives.”

Numerous service men and women objected to the program and many refused to be vaccinated. Some resigned rather than be forced to take the drug. Others were kicked out of the service, demoted or disciplined. Capt. Buck is the only one so far who faces court martial over the issue.

“The anthrax program was a well-intended program developed to protect our troops from the threat of anthrax,” he explained. “However, it was built on a very narrow scientific foundation... The vaccine was never approved for mass inoculation to prevent pulmonary anthrax. It should be considered investigational.”

He also objects to the fact that military officials do not inform personnel of the possible risks of the drug. “Our servicemen deserve to be told the risks and potential benefits, yet ultimately be given the choice,” Buck stated. “I believe this encroaches on their rights as citizens and human beings.”

The World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA), which has been in the forefront of the fight against mandatory vaccines, is honoring Buck for his heroic stand.

“As doctors of chiropractic, we all understand how difficult it is to stand up to the medical establishment,” stated Terry A. Rondberg, D.C., president of the WCA. “Add to that the full force of the military and you can see what Capt. Buck was up against. Yet, he refused to sacrifice his principles and for that, the World Chiropractic Alliance honors him and holds him up as an example for all those engaged in the fight for freedom of choice.”

In accepting the honor, Buck told Dr. Rondberg, “I am just one man. I do not know what my ultimate outcome will be, but I could not walk away from this travesty of justice being committed against our troops.”

Rondberg also invited Buck to attend the WCA International Summit in March in order to honor him publicly. “I am honored your organization would consider me for an award,” Buck stated. “Unfortunately, I do not know where I will be on March 3. If the military continues to pursue my court-martial, I could be in jail on that date.”

ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.  THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.