December 25, 2001

THE POSTAL WORKERS
Union Head Objects to Anthrax Vaccine Program
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/25/nyregion/25ANTH.html

By BARBARA STEWART

The president of the New York region's postal workers union said he objected to the anthrax vaccinations that the federal government would be offering to post office employees in a few days.

"They want to experiment on our people," said William M. Smith, president of the New York Metro Area Postal Workers Union, which represents 10,000 New York employees, including the 5,500 who work at Morgan Station, the main branch. "Those vaccinations can cause all kind of harm. Until I see the Supreme Court and the Congress taking those vaccinations, I don't want to them to be giving it to us."

The vaccine will not be available until the end of the week or early next week, according to a spokesman for the federal government.

The Centers for Disease Control has suggested that after a 60-day course of antibiotics, anthrax vaccinations be made available to Congressional employees and postal workers who have faced a high level of exposure to the spores and may still be at slight risk for the disease. But it has not given a strong recommendation for or against the treatment program.

Jeffrey P. Koplan, director of the C.D.C., said that the scientific understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of the treatment was too sparse to be conclusive. In particular, the efficacy of the vaccines on people who have been exposed and treated with antibiotics is not known. Those who do agree to be vaccinated will be required to sign consent forms absolving the government of liability should the treatment make them ill.

Mr. Smith said he had heard that the anthrax vaccination had harmful side effects and could cause serious illness. According to the federal Health and Human Resources Department, the side effects are usually minor: they include swelling, headaches, rashes, fever and chills. But in extremely rare cases ÷ in fewer than 1 in 100,000 people ÷ the vaccine causes severe allergic reactions.

Neither federal health officials nor postal service officials returned repeated calls yesterday.