Anthrax Vaccinations: Are They Safe?
ANTHRAX SLIDE
Anthrax Vaccine
Anthrax Vacinnation Requirements
INFORMED CONSENT
I understand that many laws, regulations, and military customs will govern my conduct and require me to do things under this agreement that a civilian does not have to do
As a civilian we have rights to consent. We have documents explaining our rights and letting us know what our options are and we have the courts as recourse. The military operates a bit differently under a different set of rules. The lifestyle and daily demads of such a life goes above and beyond the daily life of a civilian as it is. Protecting a civilan and their body isn't the same as it is protecting a soldier's. As a military wife you hear frequently "destruction of government property" a whole lot. Your quarters, your ID card, YOUR SOLDIER.
Orgionally, the anthrax program known as Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program (AVIP) made it mandatory and not requiring consent prior to administration had the vaccine been approved through the FDA (Food and Drung Administration). It was nearly three decades prior to the start of the program of anthrax vaccinations that the rule was made, requiring military to take the vaccines if they were viewed FDA safe.
In 1997 when a memorandum from the Sec of Defense, after the program had become established for anthrax vaccinations; the proper use of vaccines and if the military members had been placed at any undue risk by not allowing thier informed consent. Allowing oneself to view the benefits and the disadvantages of one's ultimate well being and health is one as American's I am sure we are grateful for to the extent we have consent. I chose not to get any further vaccinations once discharged from the Marines. Why? They had went ahead and lost my records in my dropping back in training and inoculated me a whole other series of shots I just got six week prior. It seems to me that its plenty of formaldeyde and aluminum in my body thank you. Why can't my recent ex-husband; who is experiencing dramatic symptoms of supposed PTSD, not allowed to say he doesn't want a fourth round of Anthrax due to the possibility he may be having adverse reactions? Truth is if he refuses he probably gets dishonorably discharged from the United States Army. I didn't have a choice to get or not to get a second round of vaccines I just recieved. I would have been disobeying a direct order or something to that affect. So why is this the way it is? If they are fighting for supposed freedom's why is it this is something they can't control? I would say there should be set guidelines. Hey you didn't get the anthrax vaccine, you died from anthrax, we are cutting your life insurance benefits in half for your surviving beneficiaris. Something. It shouldn't be forced, or should it?
The FDA claims the vaccine's efficacy was established in the fifties study of some animal hide workers. It was supposed to protect them from "cuaneious anthrax" contracted by skin exposure. When Anthrax Vaccines were licensed the type of disease that was referred to and developed for was skin exposure. The FDA claimed an estimation of about 93 percent effectiveness.
The situation that is concerning to myself is from my understanding the military wants to primarily protect our soldiers against anthrax by inhalations and not necessarily (if at all) by exposure to their skin. Inhaling the anthrax is a more potent exposure because the bacterium is more potent. That 1950s study at first claims protection to both forms there were limitations to the study. The study was based on 21 cases of cutaneous and only 5 cases of inhalation cases.
MEMORANDUM OF AVIP IMPLEMENTATION REQUIREMENTS
In a memorandum that the Army issued about the AVIP requirements the first main section ( Link provide below of a PDF file of actual Army documentaion on the mandated personel required to be vaccinated) issues its requirements under the new program. In the next section verbatum will be the provided text of required personnel. The program was resumed in October of 2006 because of a heightened risk of attack by anthrax. They claim the program is within the FDA set guidelines and the best "practice of medicine, for designated military personnel, emergency personnel, civilian department of defense employees, and certain contractor services. IT IS MANDATORY OF PERSONNEL BASED IN A GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION OF ASSIGNMENT. 15 or more days in a higher threat area and certain ones with special mission roles.
It can start up to sixty days prior to deployment or of arrival in higher threat areas.
The vaccine is a six dose series with an annual booster while in that higher threat area. Once stateside and out of the higher threat area it claims the soldier can get the booster on a voluntary basis.
NZHT NEWS
The anthrax vaccine boondoggle
Story of Anthrax
Anthrax Deception
- Vaccine Injuries
- Multiple Vaccines May Have Triggered Disease and Death of Soldier Vaccine Truth By Jeffry John Aufd
March 2, 2003 Army Specialist Rachel Lacy was given five vaccinations at once: anthrax, hepatitis B, measles-mumps-rubella, smallpox, and typhoid. She also was given a tuberculin skin test on the day that. She died on April 4, 2003. - VM -- Informed Consent in the Military: The Anthrax Vaccination Case, Oct 2007 ... Virtual Mentor
The ongoing anthrax vaccination case, Doe v Rumsfeld, tests whether the military can require participation in and punish refusal of a vaccination program while waiving informed consent. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the A - Government news Items
Direct Order
Personnel Listed in Memo for Mandatory Vaccination
1. Applicability and Scope.
The following personnel will resume mandatory anthrax immunizations, except
as provided under applicable medical and administrative exemption policies.
1.1. Uniformed personnel, to include those assigned to U.S. Embassies, forces afloat,
and civilian and contract Mariners under Commander, Military Sealift Command, serving
in the Central Command area of responsibility for 15 or more consecutive days.
1.2. Uniformed personnel assigned IO the Korean Peninsula for 15 or more
consecutive days.
1.3. Upon notification by the Secretary of the Army as the Executive Agent that
appropriate consultation procedures have been completed, and contingent upon
compliance with any other necessary personnel procedures, emergency-essentiaI and
equivalent DoD civilian employees assigned for 15 or more consecutive days
Central Command to the U.S. or to the Korean Peninsula. For this purpose, “equivalent” personnel
means othcr personnel whose duties meet the requirements of 10 W.S.C. 5 1580, but who
have not been designated as “emergency-essential.
1.4. DoD contractor personnel carrying out mission-essential services and assigned
for 15 or more consecutive days to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility or
Korea. Contracts must specify immunization as a requirement. Immunization will be
provided through the Military Health System.
1.5. All previously approved special groups listed in references i thru n or other
personnel designated by the ASD(HA), upon the recommendation of the Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretary of a Military Department or the Commandant of the
Coast Guard, based on critical mission assignments.
List of Eligible Individuals for Voluntary Anthrax Vaccination
2. Personnel Eligible for Voluntary Vaccinations.
2.1. Individuals eligible for voluntary vaccinations (subject to medical exemptions)
based on current location or status. The following individuals are eligible for voluntary vaccinations.
2.1 .lU.. S. Government civilian employees and US . citizen contractor personnel other than those referred to in paragraphs I .3 and 1.4., assigned for 15 or more consecutive days to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility and Korea.
2.1.2. Adult family members, 18-65 years of age, accompanying DoD military and civilian personnel for 15 or more consecutive days to the US. Central Command area of responsibility or Korea.
2.1.3. U.S. citizen adult family members, 18-65 years of age, accompanying U.S.
contractor personnel for 15 or more consecutive days to the US. Central Command area of responsibility or Korea.
2.1.4. Vaccine manufacturing and research personncl and others, as
designated by the ASD (HA). ASD (HA) will approve their requests on a case-by-case
basis.
2.2. Individuals not subject to mandatory vaccination who wish to continue vaccine
dosing series. The following individuals who received at least onc dose of anthrax
vaccine and who are not subject to mandatory vaccination shall (subject to medical
exemptions) be offered additional vaccine doses, consistent with the FDA-approved
dosing schedule, on a voluntary basis. Vaccines will be available at designated DoD
registcred clinics.
2.2.1. Members of the Uniformed Services on active duty or in the Selected
Reserve, rcgardless of current duty assignment, if they previously received at least one
Safe or Not?
It wasn't long after they started the AVIP program that side effects were being complained about frequently among soldiers in the Army. It was putting them on limited duty and they were on quarters unable to participate in daily duties. There were a few soldier's that even refused the vaccine but were threatened with dishonorable discharges or article 15's or other punishment under the UCMJ ( Universal Code of MIlitary Justice). If they got other punishment's it still didn't look good in their ERB's and they would have what may have been a life career; negatively affected.
One soldier even sued the military for violation of free speech.
According to the CDC only one percent experienced severe reactions. 3 percent experienced moderate reactions and 20 percent experienced mild reactions. VAERS (reporting system for side effects of vaccines) recieved over 1500 reports of adverse reactions or events. 76 which wwas 5 percent were serious. One resulted in death, one in hospitalization or permanent disability. Some for awhile seemed life threatening. 75 percent of the reports
or permanent disability or is life-threatening.75 % were under the age of forty and women and 89 % recieved the vaccine alone.]\
Most common vaccination adverse reaction was a hypersensitivity near the injection site; injection site edema, pain in the injection site, headache, arthralgia, asthenia, and pruitis.
2 in the study reported of anaphylaxix recieved in the VAERS. Death report also submitted to VAERS. Upon autopsy the final death cause was coronary arterities. A subsequent report in 2000 pointed out aplastic anemia for cause of death.
A CASUAL ASSOCIATION WITH ANTHRAX HAS NOT BEEN DOCUMENTED FOR EITHER OF THE DEATH REPORTS FOLLOWING AUTOSPY.
Infrequently reported were the severe adverse reactions of the Anthrax vaccine; that included cellulitis, pneumonia, Guillain-Barré syndrome, seizures, cardiomyopathy, systemic
lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, collagen vascular disease, sepsis,
angioedema, and transverse myelitis (CDC/FDA, unpublished data, 2000). Analysis of
VAERS data documented no pattern of serious adverse events clearly associated with
the vaccine, except injection-site reactions. Because of the limitations of spontaneous
reporting systems, determining causality for specific types of adverse events, with the
exception of injection-site reactions, is often not possible using VAERS data alone..
Signs and Symptoms of Anthrax Infection
INHALATIONAL ANTHRAX
| CUTANEOUS ANTHRAX
| GASTROINTESTINAL ANTHRAX
|
---|---|---|
Incubation: 2 days exposed to spores up to 6/8 wks after
| 1-12 days after exposure
| Typically 1 to 6 days after exposure
|
Initially fever, headache and muscle aches
| Initially a small sore at point of infection
| Fever's and blisters in the back of the throat
|
Progress's to shortness of breath, fatigue, chest discomfort
| Develops into a blister and later an ulcer
| Difficulty swallowing, lymph node swelling
|
Shock and then death
| Known as a "black eschar"
| Intestinal: nausea vomiting, and malasia
|
Background on the disease Anthrax
The bacterium, Bacillus anthracis is known as the disease Anthrax that our military is vaccinated against every deployment rotation. The bacterium exists as either a spore or in a vegetative state. If a spore its a tough and dormant form of anthrax that persists for longer periods of time. It can last years or decades even; in the environment it entered such as a human host. It needs an environment that is rich in sugars and amino acids. When the spore becomes in a vegetative state; that's when it leads to disease.
Anthrax would normally affect such animals as what we call "herbivourous mammals" That would be sheep, cattle, goats, wild animals, etc. The World Health Organization (WHO), states anthrax is "endemic" to animals in a lot of the sub Saharan Africa and Asian countries as well as in Southern European countries. Parts of the Americas and also regions is Australia. It sporadically sits in countries around the world; but, humans are less frequently infected with anthrax as in comparison to the mammals in these regions.
There is three kinds of anthrax disease: Inhalational, Cutaneous, and Gastrointestinal. In the cutaneious anthrax it goes through your skin, the gastrointestinal you get by eating contaminated food; normally meat. Inhalational is what our soldier's are supposed to be vaccinated against when they deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan. This is contracted by breathing spores into the lungs. It is the one of the three of most concern in relation to contracting anthrax.
- FDA Issues Final Order - AVA Safe and Effective
- DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
MEMORANDUM FOR SECRETARIES OF THE MILITARY DEPARTMENTS CHAIRMAN OF THE JOIN CHIEFS OF STAFF UNDER SECRETARIES OF DEFENSE COMMANDANT OF THE US COAST GUARD ASSISTANT SECRETARIES OF DEFENSE GENERAL COUNSEL, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE INSPECTOR GENERAL, DEPA - Memorandum for US Army for AVIP
Memo for the Army regarding the implementation of the Anthrax Vaccination Program - VM -- Informed Consent in the Military: The Anthrax Vaccination Case, Oct 2007 ... Virtual Mentor
The ongoing anthrax vaccination case, Doe v Rumsfeld, tests whether the military can require participation in and punish refusal of a vaccination program while waiving informed consent. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the A
Complaints from Military Personnel
Due to complaints at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware; Col Felix Grieder suspended the vaccine program. The vaccines, he said, provided the base had contained squalene that is a substance known to cause side effects that his soldier's were having. Squalene is used to increase effectiveness of the vaccine. However, a survey completed by the soldiers of a unit in Dover that was vaccinated had shown a very increased over average incident rate of more serious side effects; almost 32 percent.
The side effects experienced was memory loss, joint pain that was severe, and arthritis and was higher at Dover then it was on other military installations stateside. The United States General Accounting Office (GAO) did its own survey with the military insistence the vaccine was still safe; with their Army National Guard. They got the same results; that the adverse rates of rarer side effects was higher than what the product insert had claimed. Speculation arose with the overall morale of the unit's that felt that they didn't have all the correct and honest information give to them before taking the vaccine. Due to the fallout of the survey and the high rate of side effects it eventually went to the judicial system.
© 2011 Abby Rourk