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UNITED WAY/COMBINED FEDERAL CAMPAIGN
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"Protecting the health and informed consent rights of children since 1982."
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NVIC Note:
The facts about anthrax vaccine risks will be presented at the Third
International Public Conference on Vaccination sponsored by NVIC to be held Nov.
7-9, 2002 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel near Reagan National Airport.
o Retired Air Force pilot Sonnie Bates, who was featured on "60 Minutes,"
will be leading off the conference on Thursday afternoon in a presentation
"Anthrax Vaccination in the Military: One Pilot's Story."
o On Friday morning, Kansas State University Professor Walter Schumm, Ph.D.
will present the results of his study of anthrax vaccine and describe the kinds
of chronic illness soldiers have suffered after anthrax vaccinations.
To learn more and register for the conference, go to
.
The hotel is directly accessible from Reagan National Airport or Union Station
by the underground metro system and underground parking, restaurants and shops
are directly accessible from the hotel lobby.
Pilots Left Military Over Anthrax
October 23, 2002
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 12:53 a.m. ET
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Highly trained and experienced pilots
and crews in the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve
are leaving or have left military service in part because
of the Pentagon's anthrax vaccine, congressional
investigators say in a report released Tuesday.
Randomly selected guard and reserve troops surveyed in 2000
by the General Accounting Office also reported adverse reactions to the
vaccine at double the rate claimed by the manufacturer, BioPort Corp., the GAO
said.
Military members who have left represent some of the most experienced and
highly trained individuals in the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve ``and
are people not easily replaced,'' the GAO said.
``While many factors can and do influence an individual's decision to
participate in the military, a significant number of pilot and air crew members
cited the required mandatory anthrax immunization as a key reason for reducing
their participation or leaving the military altogether in 2000,'' the GAO said.
The GAO recommended that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld require a
surveillance program to monitor problems with the vaccine. The program should
ensure complete and appropriate treatment and follow-up for those who experience
problems or who may have them in the future, the auditors said.
In a response included with the report, the Defense
Department disagreed with the GAO's recommendation and some
of its findings. Reginald J. Brown, assistant secretary of
the Army, cited a National Academy of Sceinces report that concluded there
was no data that pointed to the need for a monitoring program. Brown also said
the GAO's findings on rates of separation by pilots were not supported by data
from the Defense Manpower Data Center and the GAO did not consider normal
turnover rates.
The GAO mailed 1,253 surveys in May 2000 and received 843 responses, with 833
providing useful information. The surveys were developed with the help of pilots
and other aircrew members of the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.
The survey was conducted at the request of Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., chairman
of the House Government Reform Committee.
``Anthrax is a serious threat that our soldiers might face
on the battlefield. At the same time, this vaccine has been controversial,
and it has caused serious reactions in some individuals,'' Burton said in a news
release.
Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by
spore-forming bacteria. Five people were killed in last
year's anthrax attacks by mail. It is considered to be a possible biological
weapon that could be used against U.S. troops.
Hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops have received vaccines
to protect them against anthrax, particularly during the Persian Gulf War.
After a long pause in the inoculation program, the pace of vaccinations was
accelerated last month, officials said. Some veterans and researchers believe
the vaccine is partly responsible for illnesses reported by Gulf War veterans.
According to the GAO survey, between September 1998 and September 2000, about
16 percent of guard and reserve pilots and air crew had moved to inactive
status, left the military or transferred to another unit -- mostly nonflying
positions to avoid or delay receiving anthrax shots.
About 18 percent of those in or assigned to a unit
indicated they planed to leave in the near future. The GAO
said both groups ranked the anthrax vaccine as a key factor
in their decision.
About 45 percent said they would consider returning if the anthrax
immunization were voluntary.
The GAO estimated that about 37 percent of the service
members surveyed had received one or more anthrax shots as
of September 2000. Of those, 85 percent reported
experiencing some sort of reaction, far higher than the 30 percent claimed by
the vaccine manufacturer.
Each shot generated an average of four or more reported reactions, some that
could have negative effects on the service member's job, the GAO said.
The GAO said it found two DOD studies of the vaccine, one
in Korea and one in Hawaii, that reported similar reaction rates.
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