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Anthrax II: Pentagon Likely to Drop Vaccine Requirement, Officials Say The U.S. Defense Department probably will abandon its policy of vaccinating all U.S. soldiers against anthrax and instead will vaccinate only those considered at high risk, officials said Friday (see GSN, May 15). Vaccine shortages and reluctance by some soldiers to be vaccinated prompted Pentagon officials to re-examine the military anthrax vaccination program, according to the Associated Press. Defense officials have looked at intelligence assessments, dose requirements and national security considerations when re-evaluating the anthrax vaccination plan, said Jim Turner, Pentagon spokesman on health issues. After a three-month study on the issue, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld last month approved a new plan to only vaccinate those at high risk, according to Pentagon officials who have seen the plan. The change in policy was supposed to be announced two weeks ago, but was delayed because of concerns over vaccine shortages for the general public, AP reported. The Pentagon is not expected to say which soldiers will fall into the high-risk category because of security reasons, officials said. The idea is that attackers using biological weapons would not know who had been vaccinated against anthrax and who had not, according to AP. Civilian Response The U.S. Homeland Security Office is still determining how much anthrax vaccine would be needed for first responders — police, fire fighters and emergency personnel who would respond to a biological attack, AP reported. The number of U.S. first responders is estimated at 2 million, officials said There is no need for the general U.S. public to be vaccinated against anthrax, health officials said (Pauline Jelinek, Associated Press/Yahoo.com, May 18). The Pentagon has created an initial plan on forming an interagency working group with the Homeland Security Office on the anthrax vaccine, but there are still unanswered questions as to civilian use, said Homeland Security Office sources. “It is not clear whether first responders will need the vaccine,” said a Homeland Security Office source. “Issues are being looked at, and no decisions have been made” (Guy Gugliotta, Washington Post, May 20).
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