Hello all,
Mind if I jump in? First let me post two links. The first is a JAMA article composed of a very diverse panel which researched this very topic, it is both timely and informative.
http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v281n18/full/jst80027.html
The next is a DOD sight discussing anthrax as a biological weapon.
http://www.anthrax.osd.mil/
DC, as usual I think you're bang on!
Rich- The below explanation for gearing up to provide the vaccine seems plausible to me. Hopefully the vaccine will be available to the public soon.
Here is a partial reprint from the jama article discussing the vaccine:
"The US anthrax vaccine, an inactivated cell-free product, was licensed in 1970 and is produced by Bioport Corp, Lansing, Mich (formerly called the Michigan Biologic Products Institute). The vaccine is licensed to be given in a 6-dose series and has recently been mandated for all US military active- and reserve-duty personnel.51 The vaccine is made from the cell-free filtrate of a nonencapsulated attenuated strain of B anthracis.52 The principal antigen responsible for inducing immunity is the protective antigen.18, 23 A similar vaccine has been shown in 1 small placebo-controlled human trial to be efficacious against cutaneous anthrax.53 As of March 1, 1999,approximately 590,000 doses of anthrax vaccine have been administered to US Armed Forces (Gary Strawder, Department of
Defense, Falls Church, Va, oral communication, April 1999); no serious adverse events have been causally related (Miles Braun, Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, Md, written communication, April 1999). In a study of experimental monkeys, inoculation with this vaccine at 0 and 2 weeks was completely protective against an aerosol challenge at 8 and 38 weeks and 88% effective at 100 weeks.54
A human live attenuated vaccine is produced and used in countries of the former Soviet Union.55 In the Western world, live attenuated vaccines have been considered unsuitable for use in humans.55
Current vaccine supplies are limited and the US production capacity is modest. It will be years before increased production efforts can make available sufficient quantities of vaccine for civilian use.
However, even if vaccine were available, populationwide vaccination would not be recommended at this time, given the costs and logistics of a large-scale vaccination program and the unlikely occurrence of a bioterrorist attack in any given community. Vaccination of some essential service personnel should be considered if vaccine becomes available. Postexposure vaccination following a biological attack with anthrax would be recommended with antibiotic administration to protect against residual retained spores, if vaccine were available."
Dennis, how ya doin?
3) As has been previously stated airborne anthrax is odorless and invisible, therefore troops/civilians will only know they have been infected by having the symtoms. By the time you get symptoms you will die of the disease in the majority of cases, even with wild type or "natural" anthrax (airborne only). If someone goes to the expense of making this bad boy it will most likely be resistant to the PCN's and tetracyclines at least, making any slim chance of treatment even less likely.
6) Actually we cannot immunize for MOST bacteria (and viruses) at the moment.
8) Anthrax vaccine is a "dead" bacteria.
10-13) I think there are a few key differences here when compared with agent orange and gulf war syndrome. This vaccine has been around for awhile, In fact Louis Pastuer first used it. It has been used frequently in the civilian population for years. There is a significant amount of literature that has been published on its safety.
With all this said is it 100% safe? Probably not. Here we get into a risk/gain ratio like all of medicine. The risk to the soldier of not getting immunized is a clear, odorless substance that is nearly uniformly fatal if exposed. Its destructive potential is equivalent to a nuclear bomb. Soldiers will NOT be able to decomtaminate or suit up for the threat as they will most likely not even know they have been exposed. Several rogue countries have developed this weapon. We have military encounters with these countries.
This threat can be drastically minimized by simple immunization, with its (in all likelihood) small concomitant risk.
Alan-B,
The Hep B vaccine has proven itself very safe and has saved MANY lives as can be evidenced by 30,000 deaths/yr before and the 5000 deaths/year now. I believe what you are refering to is the few case studies that have accused the vaccine of causing MS. While this is not proven, and is currently being studied, a new vaccine has been released without the "possible" offending agent.
Best regards to all,
Olazul
One addendum- It is the aerosol form of the spore, not the gastrointestinal or skin infection, which is the most deadly. The aerosol form is very rare in nature, but the preferred form of biological weapons.
[This message has been edited by olazul (edited October 13, 1999).]
