Immunization Newsbriefs (c) Copyright Information Inc., Bethesda, MD. Brought to you by the National Network for Immunization Information (NNii). Visit NNii's new website at http://www.immunizationinfo.org.
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October 18, 2002
U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"Company, Group Call for Public Anthrax Vaccination"
Reuters (www.reuters.com) (10/17/02); Fox, Maggie
BioPort, manufacturer of the anthrax vaccine, is questioning why the U.S. government has failed to provide the vaccine to the public to prepare for bioterrorism, and it asserts that it is ready to increase production to meet demand if asked by the government. Anthrax is the bioterrorism weapon of choice, because it is easy to obtain and only requires a small amount to infect a large amount of people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not recommend mass vaccination against anthrax, because the disease is easily treated with antibiotics.
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