Anthrax Links
Links to other sites with extensive information on the Anthrax Vaccination Program
Contract Management: DOD's Anthrax Vaccine Manufacturer Will Continue to Need Financial Assistance, T-NSIAD-00-140, April 14, 2000.
Medical Readiness: DOD Continues to Face Challenges in Implementing Its
Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program, by Carol R. Schuster, Associate Director for National Security Preparedness Issues, before the Senate Committee on Armed
Services.
GAO/T-NSIAD-00-157, Apr. 13.
Anthrax VAERS Reports
(Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System)
If you meet the following criteria, please consider going to the FDA Web link provided to fill out a VAERS Report on your anthrax vaccination. Or you can download the form and instructions on how to fill it out here. The form is of the type that can be printed and mailed to the FDA with no postage necessary.
VAERS Instructions and Form (in PDF format)
1. You are a Gulf War veteran (or spouse or family member of a disabled or deceased veteran).
2. You (or the veteran) received the anthrax vaccine during (or as part of a planned) deployment to Desert
Shield, Desert Storm, Desert Fox, or other operation involving the Gulf War.
3. You (or the veteran) had any type of reaction to your anthrax vaccine, from swelling at the site, to long-term
medical problems, including death.
Please contact the FDA by clicking on the link below:
http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaers/vaers.htm
Then go to "How to Report," download the PDF file, and complete the form. Or, veterans can call
1-800-822-7967 and request a VAERS form be sent to them for completion and return to the FDA. In either
case, keep a copy for your records.
Please keep in mind that in most cases, many of us will not be able to provide the FDA any paperwork
regarding the lot number, date of shot, or location of shot because the military did not record everyone who
received which lot of anthrax shot, and even fewer records were kept showing adverse reactions for the few
who received the shot. If you have a fellow servicemember who can verify the incident, this may prove valuable.
Not everyone will be able to qualify for completing a VAERS, but please consider completing it so that the
military does not continue with this flawed policy.
Articles by Rod Hafemeister
Rod Hafemeister is a reporter at the Belleville (Ill.) News Democrat, a Knight Ridder newspaper located near Scott Air Force
Base and across the river from St. Louis Mo.
Rod has written numerous articles concerning Gulf War Illnesses from the very beginning
of the battle. He has also written quite a number of articles on the Anthrax
Vaccination Program, which have been very helpful to those both inside and
outside of military service.
Anthrax Vaccine Links and Information
Probably THE MOST extensive site on the net of information pertaining to anthrax vaccinations. This certainly is one of the sites the Pentagon keeps referring to when blaming the internet for mistrust of the Program. See the documentation for yourself and make your own decision. The documents are all from the US Government, yet you may not see them at any of the sites the DOD has put up to help sell the program.
Another extensive web site detailing what
happened to an Air Force Major when he testified to Congress about adverse
events he observed resulting from those receiving the anthrax vaccination.
What has occurred with Major Bates is typical of what happens to service members
who have basic questions about the safety of the vaccination, or any other basic
question about the program that the DOD has done such a lousy job of answering.
If the vaccine is so safe, why is the Pentagon so afraid of a few questions?
ANTHRAX VACCINE - FACTS VS. FICTION from the Aviation Medicine web site.
From the web site:
"The goal of this section of the Virtual Flight Surgeons (VFS) web site is to present a balanced source of information regarding the anthrax vaccine. When possible, we have gone to primary sources of information without a specific agenda to advocate. Our Rumor Control section is based completely on actual discussions with individuals personally responsible for policy decisions and implementation."
What anthrax links page would be complete without a link to the company that brought you the vaccine in the first place?
Its interesting to hear the Pentagon blame the internet for fears of the vaccine, yet BioPort has no problem posting a link to a fictional MSNBC article on an anthrax attack. Who is trying to scare whom?