(DoD Editor's note:
This copy includes the insertion of June 11, missing in the first
paragraph of the original, and it also corrects other minor
textual problems.)
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press
Service
WASHINGTON,
June 11, 2001 -- DoD is further curtailing the anthrax
immunization program due to inadequate supplies of the vaccine,
DoD officials said June 11. Effective immediately only service
members assigned to "special mission units" will
receive the six-shot series.
The
action is necessary because of delays in DoD receiving FDA-approved
vaccine from Bioport, the sole source of the vaccine.
Officials
said they estimate Food and Drug Administration approval of the
Bioport Lansing, Mich., facilities for full production around
first quarter 2002, however that is not definite, said Marine Maj.
Gen. Randall West, special assistant to the deputy secretary of
defense for chemical and biological protection. "We have not
yet been able to re-establish the supply of certified safe and
effective vaccine to continue the program on the schedule,"
West said during an interview with American Forces Information
Service.
He
said the contractor is working to achieve FDA approval of the new
expanded Bioport manufacturing facility as soon as possible.
There are currently a bit more than 24,000 doses of vaccine
available for use now.
But
until then, DoD will conserve the dwindling supply of approved
vaccine. West said only small special operations units, people
working on research and some congressionally mandated studies
will continue to receive the vaccine.
This
is the third slowdown for the immunization program. In December
1999, DoD stopped inoculating service members other than those
deploying to Korea and the Persian Gulf. In November 2000, DoD
stopped inoculating service members bound for Korea. Now service
members deploying to Southwest Asia will stop receiving the
vaccine.
"I
wish we had vaccine available to continue the protocols and to
continue vaccinating all of our people deploying there,"
West said.
About
13,000 U.S. service members are deployed to Southwest Asia. DoD
and U.S. Central Command will have sufficient antibiotics on hand
for post-exposure treatment in case of an attack.
"We'll
also have to rely on an even greater way on our forms of
protections: chemical/biological protection suits, detectors,
intelligence collection and gathering," West said.
West
said, in his opinion, it is imperative that DoD resume the
vaccination regime as soon as possible. "The sooner we can
provide this vaccination protection to the entire force, the
better I'll sleep at night," he said. "The weaponized
form of anthrax can be delivered by several munitions, is a very
deadly threat. You can't see this, you can't smell it, you can't
taste it, it's very difficult to detect and if you haven't been
vaccinated, by the time you detect symptoms of anthrax, it's too
late to save a person's life."
"When we do have the vaccine replenished the first place the vaccine will go is Southwest Asia," West said. "Army Gen. Tommie Franks (commander, U.S. Central Command) is very concerned about this slowdown."
Source:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jun2001/n06112001_200106112.html