Canada Won’t Require Military Anthrax Shots

The Canadian military has no plans to institute a program of mandatory anthrax vaccinations similar to that required for some U.S. armed services personnel, the Canadian Press reported today (see GSN, Dec. 13, 2006).

“At this point in time, we are not requiring our people to have anthrax vaccinations nor are we considering it,” said Gloria Kelly, spokeswoman for the Canadian Forces health services group.

The U.S. military announced late last year it would again require anthrax vaccinations for service members heading to Afghanistan, Iraq and South Korea.  The mandatory program had been halted in 2004 during a court challenge, but was re-established after the Food and Drug Administration ruled the vaccine was safe and effective.

There are roughly 2,500 Canadian troops serving in Afghanistan.  The likelihood that they would be exposed to anthrax is low enough to make mandatory vaccinations unnecessary, said Ron Wojtyk of the Canadian Forces health services.

U.S. personnel are deployed in Iraq and other areas with a greater risk, he said yesterday.

“If we deploy to an area where there is a threat of anthrax or possible release on a bioterrorist type of scenario, then there would be an order for anthrax [vaccinations] and it would be mandatory,” Wojtyk said (Canadian Press/Telegraph-Journal, March 6).

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