25 cadets given a vaccine overdose

Mishap with anthrax shots occurs at Ft. Lewis

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Associated Press

June 20, 2000

FORT LEWIS -- Twenty-five ROTC cadets at an Army training camp were administered nearly double the proper dose of the anthrax vaccine, Army officials said yesterday.

The mishap, which Madigan Army Medical Center officials blamed on a "communications error," happened Friday during the 2000 Advanced Camp for the Reserve Officers' Training Corps at Fort Lewis.

There are few side effects associated with receiving a higher dose of the vaccine, other than soreness in the arm where the shot was administered, the medical center said in a statement. The cadets were given Tylenol and Benadryl to ease any discomfort.

The cadets, whose identities were not released, have since returned to training and have not complained of any adverse symptoms, Madigan spokeswoman Sharon Ayala said.

Each cadet received 0.95 milliliters of the vaccine, nearly twice the regular dose of 0.5 milliliters, the medical center said.

Anthrax is a disease that typically afflicts animals, especially sheep and cattle. Dry anthrax spores, which can be put into weapons, can be fatal to humans when inhaled. The U.S. vaccine, licensed by the Food and Drug Administration in 1970, is given in a series of six shots over 18 months plus an annual booster.

In 1998, Defense Secretary William Cohen ordered all 2.4 million active duty and reserve troops to get shots of the anthrax vaccine, starting with soldiers most likely to encounter biological warfare overseas.

The vaccine has come under increasing scrutiny from lawmakers as soldiers have expressed concerns. Complaints included fevers, muscle pain and dizziness, and some members of the military have said morale was plummeting.

Federal officials have repeatedly said the vaccine is safe.

At Fort Lewis, the 25 cadets given the vaccine on Friday are part of a group of 80 ROTC students scheduled to deploy to Korea this summer to attend a leadership course.

All 80 must get the vaccine, and Madigan officials are taking steps to ensure that the incident is not repeated, Ayala said.

The 25 cadets were alerted to the problem as soon as health care officials discovered the error. The incident remains under investigation, Ayala said.