Few
People Take Anthrax Vaccination
Monday December 31 6:55 PM ET
By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP
Medical Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Fewer than 100 people have opted for the experimental
anthrax vaccine out of thousands eligible, although federal health officials say
more than 700 are taking additional antibiotics.
Monday's count came as workers finished fumigating a Senate building to kill
trace amounts of anthrax spores still lingering there. However, continued
testing could turn up more anthrax residue in any of the numerous buildings and
post offices contaminated during the attacks-by-mail, said the nation's top
anthrax official.
``I don't think anyone can say there are not odd spores sitting around
somewhere,'' Dr. Jeffrey Koplan, director of the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, said in an interview. ``I don't think they pose a health threat
to people, but individuals have to make their own decisions in this as to
what's tolerable to them or not.''
Koplan's comments came as CDC figures show few of the thousands exposed to
anthrax in the fall attacks are taking up a government offer of free but
experimental anthrax vaccinations or an additional 40 days of antibiotics. CDC
made the offer because animal studies suggest that in rare cases, anthrax can lurk
in the body for more than 60 days, erupting after people finish their original
course of antibiotics.
Four dozen Capitol Hill workers received the first vaccinations on Dec. 20.
Since then, another 39 people, mostly postal workers, in Washington, New York,
New Jersey and Florida have been vaccinated, CDC figures showed Monday morning.
U.S. Postal Service officials added another 10 inoculations to that count by
afternoon.
Vaccination requires three shots at two-week intervals; antibiotics must be
taken until the last shot.
In addition to vaccine recipients, CDC counted 744 people who opted for 40
additional days of antibiotics.
People have until Jan. 7 to decide whether to take either extra-protection
measure. Koplan, who helped counsel New Yorkers about the extra therapy last
week, said he expects few more takers.
``It depends on your own sense of risk aversion,'' he said. ``These are
intelligent people who now know a lot about the subject'' and thus can choose.
The inoculations are experimental because, while the vaccine has been used
safely for decades to prevent infection before anthrax exposure, there's no
proof it works as a post-exposure treatment. It can cause side effects
including injection site soreness and swelling; muscle and joint aches; rashes;
chills; fever; nausea; and rare but serious allergic reactions. The CDC has not
said whether any of those inoculated have experienced side effects.
The CDC confirmed 18 anthrax cases during the fall attacks-by-mail,
including five deaths. The buildings most contaminated - and still closed -
were the Hart Senate Office Building, where an anthrax-logged letter was
opened, and two postal facilities in Washington and Trenton, N.J., that
processed anthrax-tainted letters.
Workers on Monday finished fumigating the Hart building with a gas that can
kill anthrax, but say it could take at least a week to determine if the cleanup
worked. Test strips containing bacteria more resistant to chlorine dioxide than
anthrax were placed in the building. If that bacteria is dead, it suggests any
remaining anthrax is, too.
Officials hope to reopen the building, which normally houses offices of half
the Senate's 100 members, in early January. The two closed post offices won't
be cleaned up until Hart is finished, a spokeswoman said.