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September 6, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Federal Officials Order Vaccines for Workers at Anthrax Contamination Sites" Associated Press (www.ap.org) (09/05/02); Wyatt, Kristen

Federal health officials said Thursday that workers in anthrax-contaminated buildings should be vaccinated against the disease, instead of just receiving antibiotics.  In announcing new guidelines for anthrax cleanup cases, Dr. Elena Page of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health noted that protective suits can fail and that long-term antibiotic treatment is questionable.  In addition, the guidelines noted that overuse of antibiotics could lead to the development of drug-resistant strains of anthrax.  Workers in any future anthrax cleanups will receive BioPort's anthrax vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

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