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U.S. Marines Resume Anthrax Vaccinations
The U.S. Marine Corps last month resumed mandatory anthrax vaccinations for personnel being sent to nations including The order covering uniformed and civilian personnel and contractors went into effect on March 15, according to a Marine Corps press release. Vaccinations would begin up to two months before deployment to The vaccination regime requires six shots spread over 18 months to prevent infection in the event of an attack involving the biological agent. A U.S. District Court judge halted mandatory vaccinations in 2004 due to problems with the Food and Drug Administration’s approval process for the anthrax vaccine. The military reported middling success with its subsequent voluntary vaccination program, and last year said it would resume the mandatory program after the Food and Drug Administration declared the vaccine safe and effective (U.S. Marine Corps release, March 30). U.S. Air Force personnel heading overseas are also being required to receive anthrax vaccinations, the Vaccinations began March 19 at Grand Forks Air Force Base. “There is evidence that several countries have produced anthrax as a weapon,” said Lt. Col. David Nelson, medical squadron commander. “Anthrax is out there, especially in the high-risk areas of the Middle East and on the Opponents of mandatory vaccinations filed another lawsuit in December seeking to end the program, which they say threatens the health of military personnel. “There are people in the medical community who don’t agree with the FDA,” said plaintiffs’ attorney Mark Zaid, who filed the first lawsuit that led to the temporary suspension of the required shots (Angela Nagel, Grand Forks Herald, April 1).
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