Anthrax Vaccine

The anthrax vaccine is intended to protect against the infectious disease anthrax. Anthrax is an acute disease, caused by a bacterium known as Bacillus anthracis. While Anthrax is most likely to occur in mammals and herd animals, human beings can be naturally exposed to the agent through such animals, by either consuming them or working with the animal parts. Humans can also be exposed to anthrax when it is used as a biological weapon.

The United States has had less than 250 cases of anthrax reported since 1955, whereas in other parts of the world—South and Central America, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and Southern and Eastern Europe—anthrax infection is still common.

The most common type of anthrax infection is subcutaneous—that is, exposure through an open wound in the skin. Inhalation anthrax is the second most common type of infection, and has a high incidence of death. Gastrointestinal anthrax is a third mode of infection, and is the least common in humans.

Who Should Get the Anthrax Vaccine

It is recommended that people 18 to 65 years of age who are at risk of exposure to the anthrax infection because of their job should be vaccinated—veterinarians, people who handle livestock, laboratory workers who may be exposed to anthrax, and military personnel.

The anthrax vaccine is mandatory for all military personnel. From 1974 to 1989, a reported 68,000 doses of the vaccine were administered. From 1990 to 1991 (during the Persian Gulf War), 268,000 doses were administered to 150,000 military personnel. From 1998 to 2005, a reported 524,000 military personnel were given 2.1 million doses of the anthrax vaccine.

Children and the Anthrax vaccine

The new health care plan focuses a lot on vaccinations and Obama is considering it for children should we have a terrorists attack using Anthrax. The vaccine was made for adults and to date over 2.6 military have been vaccinated. There are many military who have fallen very sick and even died after getting the vaccine series. The big question: Is it safe and will it protect children from a bio-terrorist attack? With treatments for anthrax, can we justify making it part of the childhood vaccine program? In 2001, due to the anthrax scare on Capitol Hill, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) offered the anthrax vaccine to postal personnel and Capitol Hill employees who were exposed to inhalation anthrax through the terrorist mail attacks. This was the first time the vaccine was used on persons already exposed to the disease. According to the physicians, the anthrax spores in the lung can remain dormant and may become active in the future so the rationale behind vaccination was to create antibodies that would protect the individuals should the spores become activated. This was basically using the people as a clinical trial for the Anthrax vaccine.

Who Should Not Get the Anthrax Vaccine

As with many vaccines, there is controversy about the safety of the anthrax vaccine. Because of a high incidence of joint-related and gastrointestinal adverse reactions, immune system illnesses following the anthrax vaccination, use in the general population is not recommended. If in the military, you may be forces to get the full series of the shot. If you have an adverse reaction, report it immediately to your superiors and document all correspondence. Unfortunately, when you join any military branch, they own your body to do what they see fit. Here is a general guideline:

• People who have been exposed to the anthrax agent and who have recovered should not get the anthrax vaccine. It is believed that they may be immune to future infection.
• People who have had a serious reaction to a previous dose of the anthrax vaccine should not have further doses of the vaccine.
• Pregnant women should not be vaccinated against anthrax. There are ingredients in the vaccine that can penetrate the neonatal wall and cause serious birth defects. If in the military, they will still vaccinate so beware, always ask if there is a waiver for the vaccine.
• People who are younger than 18 or older than 65 should not be vaccinated, because of a lack of research on its safety for these age groups.

Any person who is moderately to severely ill should not receive the anthrax vaccine.

Some people should not get the vaccine, including:

• Anyone who has had a severe allergic reaction to a vaccine in the past
• Anyone who has had Guillain Barre syndrome
• Pregnant women, except those who have been exposed to inhalation anthrax

How is the Anthrax Vaccine Administered

Until 2004, BioThrax AVA and BioThrax IM are both vaccines developed by Emergent BioSolutions in Lansing, Michigan. These are given intramuscularly—that is, injected into the deltoid muscle of the arm. The dosing schedule has traditionally been at 0 weeks, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months. However, as of December 2008, a new version of the BioThrax IM eliminates the need for the 2-week dose, reducing the dosing schedule from six shots to five, and then annual boosters thereafter.

In 2008 the Department of Defense announced it will be funding a new vaccine that is administered through a skin patch, rather than intramuscularly. Iomai Corporation based out of Maryland was reported to win the bid and the subsequent almost $1 million in reimbursements. This may be a safer way of exposure than injection. For individuals who were already exposed to the anthrax agent—workers on Capitol Hill and postal employees— after the 2001 World Trade Center attacks and subsequent anthrax bioterrorist attacks, the vaccine was administered in a three-dose schedule with each dose given in two-week intervals.

Who Recommends Use of the Anthrax Vaccine

Despite reports by individual researchers that have found serious adverse reactions to the vaccine, the FDA has not declared the vaccine unsafe or ineffective. The Pentagon has also issued no recall of the mandatory vaccination of all military personnel. At this time, it is not mandated for general use.

In 1881, the first vaccine ever was demonstrated by Louis Pasteur using anthrax. An anthrax vaccine for humans was released in 1954, and was improved to a cell-free vaccine in 1970.

When Was the Anthrax Vaccine Approved for Use

Used on mill workers in the 1950s, the first human anthrax vaccine was thought to be safe and effective at that time. However, the FDA first licensed an anthrax vaccine in 1970. The licensed vaccine does not contain the B. anthracis cells, and it is reported to not cause anthrax.

Who Makes the Anthrax Vaccine

There are several anthrax vaccines in use in the military around the world.

• Georgian/Russian Anthrax Vaccine STI, a Russian vaccine, is a live-attenuated vaccine, which means that the anthrax agent’s virulence was reduced or weakened, while keeping it alive. This is in contrast to an inactivated vaccine, where the pathogen (in this case, anthrax) is killed. STI is reported to have many serious side effects and is not recommended for use in anyone other than “healthy adults”. (How would you know if someone was immune compromised until after a bad reaction?)
• USA-Emergent BioSolutions/BioThrax Vaccine Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed (AVA), also known by its trade name as BioThrax, is developed in the US by previously know, BioPort in Lansing, Michigan but now referred to as Emergent BioSolutions. BioThrax vaccine is Anthrax proteins adsorbed onto aluminum-hydroxide gel, a common practice in vaccine manufacturing.
• In 2008, BioThrax was licensed for use in a five-dose schedule administered intramuscularly. o In 2009, Emergent BioSolutions received licensure to distribute its anthrax vaccine in India. Later that same year, the FDA extended approval to increase the anthrax vaccine shelf life from 3 to 4 years. Most recently, in 2011, Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority approved the sale of BioThrax in Singapore.
• Emergent BioSolutions is licensed to produce the anthrax vaccine for the US Department of Defense. In 2011, Emergent stock was publicly traded for the first time, suggesting that business is good for the vaccine manufacturer.

Dr. Meryl Nass Speaks Out Against the Anthrax Vaccine

Dr. Meryl Nass has been warning service people and the public about the dangers of using the Anthrax vaccine. She was a member of Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) when students at the University of Massachusetts started looking into the University’s Pentagon contracts for anthrax development. She discovered a researcher, who had previously worked at Fort Detrick, was doing work on anthrax. They suspected that it may be germ warfare and so her group tried to understand what they were doing. She was to head up the investigation. Dr. Nass says, “When I read the contract, I found even though it was titled a contract for improved anthrax vaccines, it actually had to do with some primitive genetic engineering of anthrax,” she explains. “I thought it was rather interesting and odd that the meaning of the contract had been hidden. I thought I would just read a little bit more about anthrax and see what was going on with this government project.” What she discovered was shocking.

She made some very interesting discoveries. One was that the anthrax epidemic that occurred in Rhodesia during its civil war, killing about 200 people, had completely different characteristics than all other anthrax epidemics around the world.

The other was that the U.S. army signed a treaty that specified the type of defense research allowed under the Biological Weapons Convention. The army was ignoring their own treaty and were working on an Anthrax bio-weapon. Dr. Nass went public with these facts. “I felt I had a responsibility to identify biological warfare,” she says.

Apparently, no one was really looking at the anthrax epidemics to determine whether they were natural occurrences or deliberately caused. Dr. Nass believed, “Up until then, if you used biological warfare nobody would be any wiser and you would get away with it without any consequences,” she says.

So, in her spare time, she began creating a model for investigating epidemics. She eventually published a paper that dissected the Rhodesian epidemic, which she found was likely due to biological warfare. That paper also showed how you could look at different aspects of an epidemic to determine whether it was natural or most like caused by biowarfare.

Printed in Covert Action Quarterly Magazine, 1992-93 winter issue titled Poison War/Toxic Policies, her article was titled, Zimbabwe’s Anthrax Epidemic, by Meryl Nass. She explains how she discovered that it was most likely, an anthrax bio-weapon used against the people, not the wild illness. This could explain a new epidemic or pandemic in need of a vaccine.

Anthrax Factory in Michigan

The only place that the anthrax vaccine is produced is in a Michigan Vaccine Manufacture called, Michigan Biologic Products Institute or BioPort located in Lansing, MI. In 2004, they went through corporate restructuring and BioPort and its subsidiary Antex Biologics became wholly owned subsidiaries of Emergent BioSolutions Inc.

How is the Anthrax Vaccine Developed

The Anthrax bacterium protein is blended with aluminum hydroxide gel, which is very absorbent. It is preserved with formaldehyde and sodium chloride. The vaccine dosing schedule was originally 6 doses over an 18-month period. In 2004, the US Department of Health and Human Services awarded an $877 million contract to Vaxgen, Inc., a California-based company, to develop a vaccine that could be administered and be effective in three doses or less. The contract was voided in 2006 when Vaxgen was not able to meet the requirements for development.

In 2007, a new vaccine, ABthrax, was announced, and by 2009, the US Department of Defense had received delivery of 20,000 doses of the new vaccine for all service people. ABthrax is reported to sensitize the immune system to the presence of the anthrax agent.

Are There Long-Term Studies on Safety and Effectiveness for the Anthrax Vaccine

Very few vaccines have been studied long-term and the Anthrax vaccine is no different. From 1955 to 1959, over 1200 mill workers believed to be free from prior exposure to anthrax were vaccinated. The mill workers were chosen because they handled goat products, which were known to carry anthrax spores. Prior to implementing the vaccination program, 1.6 -1.8 out of every 100 workers were known to become infected by anthrax.

The vaccine was not mandatory. There were individuals who refused to participate in the study. Those who did elect to participate received the first three inoculations at 2-week intervals, then three doses at 6-month intervals and annual boosters thereafter. The National Academies Press reported the findings stating, “Over the course of the study, 26 cases of anthrax occurred, including an outbreak of 9 cases over a 10-week period at one of the mills (Mill A). Twenty-one of the 26 cases were cutaneous anthrax and 5 were cases of inhalational anthrax, all of which occurred during the outbreak at Mill A. Of the 26 cases, 3 occurred among vaccine recipients (1 complete and 2 incomplete inoculees), 17 occurred among individuals in the placebo group (15 complete and 2 incomplete inoculees), and 6 cases occurred among individuals who were not inoculated with the vaccine or the placebo. None of the cases of inhalational anthrax occurred in persons who had received the vaccine”. Overall, the findings indicate the vaccine was over 90% effective against cutaneous (on the skin) anthrax. The cases of inhalation anthrax were too few to suggest adequate effectiveness statistics.

The Centers for Disease Control conducted another study between 1962 and 1974 of textile mill workers. Over the course of the study, 26 cases of anthrax were reported. None of the workers who were fully vaccinated became infected, and only one worker with incomplete vaccination status (having only received one or two doses) was infected. The total number of participants is not known to give an accurate percentage of effectiveness.

Does the Anthrax Vaccine Work

In 1881, Louis Pasteur injected one group of sheep with his anthrax vaccine, and thirty days later, injected the vaccinated group and a non-vaccinated group of sheep with the live anthrax bacteria. The non-vaccinated group did not survive, while the vaccinated sheep did. There is a very big difference between injecting the actual bacteria and a weakened vaccine. Most people will contact anthrax by breathing or touching the bacterium, not injecting it. Regardless, we know that vaccines “change an illness is expressed…by suppression of the immune system”, therefore, more studies are needed to see the long-term effects of the vaccine.

Evidence on the anthrax vaccine’s effectiveness in humans is less clear than Pasteur’s demonstration. Cases of reported infection are usually too few to allow for a representative sample. It is known that during the anthrax mail terrorism after 9-11, those who were exposed and given the vaccine had a greater survival/recovery rate historically than those exposed to the infectious agent. However, these individuals were also treated with massive doses of powerful antibiotics, so how effective (or harmful) a role the vaccine played is not known.

Many service personnel have reported sever reactions to the Anthrax vaccine and some have died. The big question, is the military really at risk? Are there other countries that possess the anthrax bacterium and could use it as bio-warfare against the US military? (See article, Anthrax vaccine dangers)

The disease of Anthrax, when inhaled, is a very traumatic illness usually resulting in a terrible death. Cutaneous (on the skin) anthrax is not as deadly. The anthrax vaccine has resulted in many deaths and is very controversial. The use of the vaccines in the military has been disputed many times and for a while, was outlawed.

Anthrax Producer

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (formerly BioPort Corporation of Lansing, Michigan) is making the only Anthrax vaccine used in the US at this time. The microorganism used is the bacterium B. anthracis. This vaccine was licensed in 1970 to be used on adults ages 18 to 65, getting a total of six injections starting with one then another at 2, 4 wks, 6, 12, 18 months plus annual boosters. The ingredients include aluminum hydroxide, benzethonium chloride, Formaldehyde, sodium chloride, amino acids and the Bacillus anthracis.

The Anthrax vaccine is produced from an avirulent—meaning no longer viable—strain of the toxic, infectious anthrax agent. There are no living organisms present in the vaccine. The fear is that Anthrax could be used as a biowarfare weapon and therefore, our soldiers need to be protected. The primary ingredient is Anthrax Protective Antigen.

AVA vaccine , developed by Emergent BioSolutions, contains aluminum hydroxide made up of 600 micrograms of aluminum per shot ( 0.5ml added as aluminum hydroxide in 0.85% sodium chloride). AVA also contains 25 mg/mL of benzethonium chloride and 100 mg/mL of formaldehyde, added as preservatives and/or adjuvants.

Each dose of the vaccine contains no more than 0.83 mg aluminum per 0.5 mL dose. This is near the allowed upper limit of 0.85 mg/dose. Safety studies proving this is safe are not done.

The United Kingdom has a vaccine that contains alum, aluminum potassium sulphate, sodium chloride, and purified water. It also contains the preservative is Thimerosal, which is a mercury-based preservative and is the source of much controversy.

Toxic and Dangerous Ingredients

Testing of the anthrax vaccine on animals using aluminum hydroxide adjuvant resulted in adverse neuropathy symptoms. Thimerosal is known to be toxic and has been the topic of discussion for 12 years in the use in vaccines. The vaccine manufactures were told to eliminate it by 2009 by the CDC but many vaccines still contain it in trace amounts. According to mercury specialist, Boyd Haley, PhD, who has made a career of studying mercury at the University of Kentucky, “Thimerosal is very toxic and accumulates in the brain. You cannot even conduct a study that shows Thimerosal is safe.”

Yes, I understand that the government, the CDC, the Institute of Medicine and the Academy of Pediatric all say that the Thimerosal used in vaccines is safe! They reference epidemiological studies conducted in other countries. They have not done the proper safety studies on Americans to prove that Thimerosal is really safe. They claim that we eat more Thimerosal than what is injected by vaccination. This is a very bad argument! (See Thimerosal Safety Argument article for further discussion).

Aluminum is a known neurotoxin. We are told that ingesting aluminum is not safe so what are the consequences of injecting aluminum? When Congress ordered the Thimerosal reduction, the vaccine manufactures increased the aluminum as an adjuvant (turbo-charge the reaction in the immune system). It has been associated with reports of swelling, itching, soreness, redness, and lumps at the injection site. New studies are now evolving on the aluminum used in vaccines. The Journal of AutoImmunity published this study on July 15, 2010: ASI – Autoimmune/Inflammatory Syndrome induced by Adjuvants, by Yehuda Shoenfed, Nancy Agmon-Livin . aluminum is causing inflammatory problems in the body. A new “syndrome” they say is from the aluminum used in vaccines!

This is proof that the vaccine manufactures do not study a vaccine thoroughly before releasing it to the unsuspecting public. We also do not know how these ingredients will affect a person later in life. There are no long term safety studies to prove they are safe. Every vaccine on the market is using some form of aluminum as an adjuvant; vaccines are useless without adjuvants because they will not elicit an immune reaction.

Military Personnel Reject the Anthrax Vaccine

There have been several court cases both military and civilian. In May, 2003 the Washington Times reported: “The Department of Defense (DOD) is being challenged in federal court about its anthrax vaccine policy. A pregnant service woman who was forced to be vaccinated with the anthrax vaccine–despite the risk of its causing birth defects–is suing. The DOD is arguing to have the case heard under its thumb in a military court rather than a federal civil court.” “The Pentagon has said the anthrax vaccine is safe but acknowledged that severe harmful reactions develop in about one in 100,000 vaccinations.”

However, a September 2002 GAO Report, ANTHRAX VACCINE GAO’Äôs Survey of Guard and Reserve Pilots and Aircrew (GAO-02-445) estimated that about 37 percent of the service members surveyed had received one or more anthrax shots as of September 2000. Of those, 85 percent reported experiencing some sort of reaction, far higher than the 30 percent claimed by the vaccine manufacturer. In most cases the soldier is not told what vaccine is being given.

Major Sonnie Bates Refuses Vaccine In 2001, I was the President of The Michigan AutoImmunity Project, (TAAP of MI) and very active in the fight against forced vaccines. I was contacted by Major Sonnie Bates, one of many pilots at Dover Air Force base, who refused to get the anthrax vaccine. He told me that after his men got the first anthrax vaccine, they were lined up on beds lining the hall to the infirmary. He was very concerned and began to investigate what shot they had received. He was then asked to take the shot and refused also telling his men that he was not recommending it. He was headed for a court martial and up to 5 years in prison for refusing. He decided to go on the television program, 60 Minutes, to discuss this injustice. The Air Force decided to stop their hard-line tactics and he was allowed to leave the air force, without pension or pay. He said, “After 13 years of exemplary service to my country, I am willing to give up my job, my rank, and everything I have worked for to avoid taking an unsafe drug.”

In order to further the public awareness, I invited Sonnie Bates and several other military personnel to come to Michigan and hold a rally on the steps of our capitol in Lansing MI. This is also the home of BioPort, the manufacture of the Anthrax vaccine. We had the rally but none of the capitol residents (senators or congressman) even showed up. Only one TV news station was there in spite of many press releases sent out. We then went to BioPort and picketed them for several hours. A few months later, one of the military women, who came by wheel chair to speak, died from her Anthrax Vaccination. She was a decorated navy “Top Gun” pilot, the only woman in her class and was only 23 years old. Her goal was to be a fighter pilot with a career in the navy. The Anthrax vaccine had destroyed her life. Historically, many military tried to sue the Department of Defense (DOD) due to injuries but have not been successful. Here are a few examples of court statements:

Attorneys for six military officers and Defense Department personnel argued in a U.S. District Court yesterday that the Department of Defense must stop inoculating soldiers as a remedy for inhalation anthrax because the vaccine is in “investigational” stages and is being used without approval. Appearing before Judge Emmet G. Sullivan in John Doe, et. al. v. Rumsfeld, et. al., plaintiffs were seeking a preliminary injunction that would prevent the government from vaccinating military personnel unless the recipients heard an explanation of potential side-effects and gave consent, or the president issued a waiver. They said that under a federal statute such regulations are necessary for drugs under investigation.

Two Air Force officers filed a lawsuit against the Pentagon in 2002, challenging the mandatory anthrax vaccines for soldiers. One complainant received 60 days of base restriction and was fined $21,000 for refusing the anthrax vaccine, and the other was forced to end his 14-year military career.

In 2004, a federal judge ruled that the military’s mandatory administration of the vaccine was illegal because the FDA had not approved its use for inhalation anthrax, only for anthrax contracted through the skin. After FDA approval, the judge allowed voluntary injections. The Defense Department resumed mandatory shots this month. The Pentagon continues to defend the efficacy and safety of the vaccine.

The FDA again ruled in 2006 that the vaccine was safe and effective in protecting against any type of anthrax exposure.

Another Case History of Injury From Anthrax Vaccine

This story is found on a website, RawStory.com/news of a Navy reservist and an Iraq veteran, Luis Hernandez, who served in the military for 25 years and got the Anthrax Vaccine back before deployment to Iraq in 2003. A few days after receiving his third anthrax vaccination, Hernandez says, he developed a lesion on his leg that he was told was most likely a spider bite. He was put on a course of antibiotics and continued preparing for deployment. I had never had health problems,” he said.

By 2006, the lesion got larger and he developed autoimmune problems and had to retrun to the US for medical treatment. “When I got back, I had 13 lesions,” he said. “It was just too much for my immune system,” he said of the vaccine. “They didn’t know what the hell I had.” He believed it was the result of the Anthrax vaccines and he was accused of being “delusional” and the relation between his mystery autoimmune illness and the shots “were in his head.” He thought he was going crazy. He was suffering from muscle spasms, headaches, recurring skin lesions, chronic fatigue and depression. His life has been profoundly altered, has difficulty functioning.

We all must be willing to see that with any vaccine program, there will be those who are injured and even die. I personally feel that the decision to vaccinate is a personal one and no government should have the power to demand a vaccine, especially in our children. Even worse, our government protect the vaccine manufactures from all liability…they cannot be sued for damages! What would motivate the vaccine manufactures to make a safe vaccine and go through the necessary studies to insure that it is effective? There is no checks-and-balance system in place to insure that vaccines are safe.

If you thing the FDA is there to protect you and I, think again! The FDA approved dangerous drugs all the time. Most medications are on the market for 10 years and then get pulled because of the health problems they cause. A closing fact: In 2009 the FDA recalled 426 prescription drugs…by 2010, the number rose to 1,742. How many people had to die or get injured before those drugs were recalled? Make informed medical decisions!

The anthrax vaccine is a terrible experiment on humans and I pray that someday, we stop inflicting this chemical warfare on our own citizens in the name of war.

References:

1.http://www.anthrax.osd.mil/resource/qna/qaAll.asp?cID=308
2.Wikipedia.org—anthrax vaccines
3.http://www.immunizationinfo.org/vaccines/anthrax

As with most vaccines, there are numerous reports of side effects, some very serious, but no consolidated studies confirming a cause-and-effect relationship. The anthrax vaccine is known to have a high incidence of side effects, however probably due to the seriousness of the infection; the vaccine is still considered good practice if in the military or for those at high-risk of exposure. I personally believe that the threat of exposure to Anthrax is very limited and treatment after exposure is always an option if exposed. Because our military are all around the world in many 3rd world countries, the Department of Defense justifies the vaccine.

Incidence of Complications with the Anthrax Vaccine

A whopping 30% of men and 60% of women experience “mild” reactions that last several days.

• 1 out of 2 people report tenderness—that’s 50%!
• 1 out of 7 men experienced redness at the injection site, as did 1 out of 3 women.
• 1 out of 50 men and 1 out of 20 women reported itching
• A lump developed in 1 out of 60 men and 1 out of 16 women after vaccination
• 1 out of 25 men experienced bruising, as did 1 out of 22 women

Other symptoms include:

• 1 out of 14 men and 1 out of 10 women reported muscle aches or temporarily limited mobility of the arm. In another study, 12% to 15% of recipients experienced joint aches.
• Headaches were reported by 1 out of 25 men and 1 out of 12 women; another study reported 14% to 25% of recipients experienced headache.
• 1 out of 15 men and 1 out of 8 women experienced fatigue. Fatigue in a different study was reported in 6% to 17% of recipients.
• Chills were reported in 2% to 6%, and fever in 1% to 5%.

A review of adverse events from vaccination against anthrax found “no patterns of unexpected local or systemic adverse events.” Many of the events take place in military personnel and they do not get reported. There have been many court cases where service veterans are trying to sue for damages.

Severe allergic reactions including anaphylactic shock are reported in less than 1 out of every 100,000 doses. The package insert for the AVA mentions a severe allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis, and that individuals with latex sensitivity may experience a reaction as well due to the vial stopper material.

Deaths from the Vaccine and VAERS Reporting

From 1990 to 2000, more than 1,859,000 does of the anthrax vaccine were distributed in the US. The Centers for Disease Control reports 1,544 adverse events were collected by the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). When compared to the number of doses distributed, this accounts for .08% of the total. However, it is not know if the 1,859,000 doses were all administered, which, if they were not, would cause to increase that percentage when compared with the accurate number of administered doses. Of the 1,544 cases, 76 were “severe”—defined as resulting in death, hospitalization, permanent disability, or life-threatening. It is also noted that only 1% of all adverse events get reported….90% go unreported.

Can the Anthrax Vaccine Cause the Illness

I will reference a book written by Gary Matsumoto, veteran journalist, called, “VACCINE A, The Covert Government Experiment That is Killing Our Soldiers and Why the GI’s are Only the First Victims. In this book he carefully examines the use of the military Anthrax vaccine and an oil adjuvant called, Squalene. He exposed how the military scientists discovered the vaccine was not working to protect so they added the squalene which causes autoimmune illnesses, chronic pain, life-threatening illnesses like lupus, crippling arthritis and multiple sclerosis. On the cover of the book is says: “The worst friendly-fire incident in military history was not caused by a bomber pilot’s navigational error or a poorly targeted artillery bombardment. It came from… the military’s own medics, the Anthrax Vaccine.”

Matsumoto documents how some of the anthrax vaccines given to the military were expired, some had failed potency tests and the manufacture had been cited numerous times for non-compliance in safety standards. Also, the use of squalene in human vaccines had not been tested but animal studies had. Squalene given to animals’ results in auto- immune disease, when injecting into humans, the results have been 4 autoimmune diseases seen in the military. They are rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune thryoiditis and lupus erythematosis. All of these diseases have occurred in military after the Anthrax vaccine containing squalene were given. The officers who are aware of these problems are warned, “Don’t rock the boat.”

Deny the Problem

There has been controversy that over 20,000 hospitalizations of military personnel resulted following vaccination. Numerous cases of gastrointestinal distress and joint-related adverse reactions. However, the official reports state there is no provable cause-and-effect relationship, and therefore, the mandate to vaccinate military personnel remains in place. The Institute of Medicine concluded, after a study on the safety and effectiveness of the anthrax vaccine, that the AVA is “as safe as” other vaccines. I guess that is supposed to make us feel better? I personally feel that the vaccines are the #1 cause of many health problems plaguing our children…autism now 1 in 88 or more! I think that statement is an indication of the attitude of the IOM….they really do not care, there will be those who get injured….but who is counting anyway?

Congressional Hearings and Law Suits

In Israel, beginning in 1998, an 8-year project named Omer Two tested the anthrax vaccine on 716 volunteers of the Israel Defense Forces. Adverse effects were reported; the Defense Ministry denied disability to any of the participants. A group of disabled volunteers filed a petition with Israel’s High Court in 2009 to disclose the results of Omer Two. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) moved to shield public and government officials from potential lawsuits filed by persons who suffer adverse effects from the anthrax vaccine. Military personnel are not legally allowed to file lawsuits against the government for adverse effects obtained while in service, but with the vaccination becoming available to the public, the HHS move is a proactive one in anticipation of lawsuits. The HHS established legal immunity for all public and government officials claiming a state of bioterrorist emergency effective until 2015.

If you follow the money trail, you will find out that this vaccine is a political vaccine, padding the pockets of the good-ole-boys at the expense of the American military. If you want to look further, you will find that the owner of BioPort, retired Admiral Crowe and his friend, George W. Bush and the bin Laden family are sitting real pretty if we have an anthrax scare!

Sources:
www.immunize.org
www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/side-effects.htm
www.mayoclinic.com/health/anthrax…
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20208010
www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/anthrax
Wikipedia.org—anthrax vaccines, anthrax
http://www.infowars.com/us-limits-anthrax-vaccine-legal-liability/
www.immunizationinfo.org/vaccines/anthrax

References:

http://www.anthrax.osd.mil/resource/qna/qaAll.asp?cID=308
Wikipedia.org—anthrax vaccines
http://www.immunizationinfo.org/vaccines/anthrax