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Archives | (May 2001)
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The Anthrax Vaccine: Making Our Soldiers Guinea Pigs Part One (cont.)
------------------------------------------------------------------ Page 2 of 6 These figures are a far cry from the 5 percent to 35 percent rate that DOD claims. Of course, the statistics don’t really tell you what the reactions entail. Major Roman Savioe, an Air Force pilot with over 25 years service who ultimately resigned her commission rather than be vaccinated described what members of her squadron experienced. “ Some people were saying it was the most painful vaccine they’d ever had, and their arms were sore for three weeks at a time with big lumps in them. Some people were losing strength in their arms. The ones that got me were the dizziness, tingling that didn’t go away. And just fatigue. And as a pilot, if you’re dizzy or experience any kind of vertigo for an unexplained reason, that’s the end of your career. It’s over.” What is perhaps worse, is the military’s failure to acknowledge the problem. One well-documented case is that of Air Force pilot Michelle Peal. After being vaccinated, Captain Peal was flying back from Honduras when her right ear began to fill with fluid. She described the experience as being like “someone turned on a faucet.” When she landed at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina, she was immediately grounded by the flight surgeon that initially diagnosed her as having a head cold and middle ear infection. Within days, the fluid build-up in her ears began to cause dizziness. When the problem persisted, the military’s reaction was to accuse her of malingering – faking it. It was only with the intervention of her commanding officer that she received proper medical care. Even then, however, she was never returned to flight status. Her career was over. Major Savoie knows of many other cases. Moreover, almost half of her squadron – 32 pilots in all – resigned rather than allow themselves to be vaccinated. Despite these facts, Dr. Sue Bailey told Congress “The vaccine has very few side effects, and they are mild and they are temporary.” So what is the real story? Is the Anthrax Vaccination Implementation Program a vital step in protecting our troops against a threat, or is it something else? DOD claims the former, but a review of thousands of pages of congressional testimony and documents as well as first-hand interviews of military personnel forced to take the anthrax vaccine paints a very different picture. It is picture of an out of control program tainted from the outset by corruption, cronyism and arrogance. It is a picture of a program that has put profit and public relations ahead of the well being of our men and women in uniform. Most disturbingly, it is a picture of a program that may pose a greater threat to military readiness than any foreign aggressor. A QUESTIONABLE SOURCEThe truth is that there have been questions about the Anthrax Vaccination Implementation Program, or AVIP from the start. One of the most important of the controversies surrounding the AVIP has centered on the vaccine’s manufacturer, BioPort Corporation and its predecessor the Michigan Biologic Products Institute or MBPI. Established in 1907 by the State of Michigan, MBPI was one of a number of state-owned vaccine laboratories established in the 1920s. Early in its history, MBPI produced vaccines such as the diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus shot given to school age children. In 1965, the Department of Defense and the Centers for Disease Control awarded MBPI a contract to initiate development of an anthrax vaccine. MBPI received a license from the FDA to produce the vaccine in 1970. |
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