Anthrax Hearing

by Roberto Suro

Washington Post

October 3, 2000; Page A23

ANTHRAX HEARING: Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) will zero in today on one of the sorest subjects at the Pentagon with a hearing on the anthrax vaccine program. To warm things up, two of the most outspoken congressional critics of the program--Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-Ark.) and Rep. Jack Metcalf (R-Wash.)--will testify before Burton's Committee on Government Reform. Then eight "affected persons" who claim that either they or a family member has suffered as a result of the program will be on stage. Some have stories of illness while others are among the service members who have faced court-martial rather than take the injections. Then Pentagon officials will get a chance to defend the program.

Since July, the military has slowed the inoculation program because of a shortage of vaccine. Nonetheless, the shots are still given to about 17,500 troops a month who are headed for the Persian Gulf or Korea. Unless the Pentagon can find a new supplier who can pass muster with the Food and Drug Administration, it will run out of its supply in March at the current rate.

Complicating what has long been a public relations disaster is the death of a worker at the Michigan plant where the Pentagon's supply of the vaccine was manufactured. A local pathologist said the death of Richard Dunn in July was related to the vaccine, but those autopsy results have been disputed and are now under investigation by the Pentagon and other authorities. Dunn's wife, Barbara, will testify at today's hearing.