Anthrax vaccine offered to service members

Courtesy Photo | Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen aboard Camp Taqaddum, Iraq now have the option to start the anthrax vaccination program. Without the vaccination, there is a heightened chance an individual will be more vunerable to lethal anthrax infection.  

AL TAQADDUM, IRAQ

09.29.2005

Courtesy Story

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CAMP TAQADDUM, IRAQ (Sept. 28, 2005) -- Starting in October, Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen here will have the option of beginning the anthrax vaccination program.

Anthrax, an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium called bacillus anthracis, is becoming a threat that may be used as a potential weapon against service members while deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Petty Officer 1st Class Kathryn P. Coleman, an independent duty corpsman at the Battalion Aid Station with Headquarters and Service Battalion, 2nd Force Service Support Group (Forward).

The BAS will hold instructional briefs about the disease itself and the vaccine during weeks to come.

"We are trying to help [service members]," the Marysville, Calif., native said. "You never know when anthrax could be used against us."

Anthrax cases can occur in three forms, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The forms are cutaneous infection, which is contact to bare skin; ingestion of undercooked or raw, infected meat; and breathing in airborne spores.

"Anthrax is some real bad stuff," said Petty Officer 3rd Class David L. Brown, a corpsman at BAS with Headquarters and Service Bn., 2nd FSSG (Fwd). "If you get infected, there is little that can help you."

Some symptoms of anthrax include, but are not limited to; severe breathing problems and shock, swollen lymph nodes, painless ulcers appearing on the skin with a black center, nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, fever followed by abdominal pain, severe diarrhea and vomiting blood, according to the FDA.

Everyone has the option of refusing the shot; however, without the vaccination there is a heightened chance that the individual will be more vulnerable to lethal anthrax infection, Brown explained.

"We want everyone to weigh their choices on whether they want to receive the vaccine or not," the Washington D.C. native said. "It is serious business, so reading up on [Anthrax] will help you decide if you want to get the shot or not."

Some individuals should not receive the shot if they have a moderate or severe illness, women who are pregnant, people with a possible history of latex sensitivity, people infected with HIV, if the individual has or previously had Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) or people who have recovered from an anthrax infection, according to the FDA.

Members of the Armed Forces are vaccinated for a variety of potential threats and the anthrax vaccination is another tool to assist the military with its mission noted Petty Officer 2nd Class John M. Curry, a corpsman at BAS with Headquarters and Service Bn., 2nd FSSG (Fwd).

"We're in a business where you never know what your enemies are going to expose you to," the Havre de Grace, Md., native said. "As medical professionals, we encourage service members to receive the vaccination due to its proven effectiveness."

The FDA-licensed schedule for anthrax vaccine is six doses given over an 18-month period, according to the anthrax Emergency Use Authorization pamphlet, which is available at the BAS. Six doses are needed for full protection, however, if the patient gets a dose earlier than scheduled, their risk of exposure to anthrax changes and will have to reconsider whether to continue the vaccination process.
For more information concerning the anthrax vaccine, visit http://www.anthrax.mil.

• Date Taken: 09.29.2005
• Date Posted: 09.29.2005 15:33
• Story ID: 3147
• Location: AL TAQADDUM, IQ