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Congressman Urges Amnesty for U.S. Soldiers Refusing Anthrax Vaccination
A prominent House Republican said he plans to introduce legislation providing amnesty to U.S. military personnel who refuse anthrax vaccinations under the Defense Department’s mandatory program, the Associated Press reported yesterday (see GSN, Dec. 17, 2004). “We need to make sure those who opted out of the vaccine program are not punished,” said U.S. Representative Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), chairman of the House National Security subcommittee. “An unproven vaccine administered against an uncertain threat is simply not good policy and no punitive measures should be taken against those who chose their health over fulfilling an ill-informed requirement.” The Pentagon’s anthrax vaccination program began six years ago. Nearly 500 service members have refused the vaccine since then and more than 100 have been court-martialed, according to federal court documents. Military personnel who believe they have been mistakenly punished can appeal to the Boards of Correction of Military Records, Pentagon spokesman Jim Turner said. The Defense Department halted vaccinations in October after a federal judge ruled the program could not be mandatory. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz subsequently requested emergency authorization to restart the program (Associated Press/Newsday, Jan. 17).
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