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Federal Officials Announce Anthrax Vaccine Policy
Friday, June 28, 2002
United States Department of Defense

"As indicated by evidence from studies in both humans and animals, the committee concluded that AVA (the anthrax vaccine), as licensed, is an effective vaccine to protect humans against anthrax, including inhalational anthrax. Moreover, because the vaccine exerts its protection via an antigen crucial to the action of the bacterium's toxins, AVA should be effective against anthrax toxicity from all known strains of B. anthracis, as well as from any potential bio-engineered strains."

No. 338-02
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Officials from the Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services announced today the highlights of a coordinated effort to react to possible, future anthrax incidents.

The coordinated efforts of the Department of Defense, the Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies call for reinstituting the use of the vaccine for certain service members, and for the stockpiling of both antibiotics and FDA-approved anthrax vaccine for civilians.

"Given the deadly events of last fall and what we know of the threat of anthrax as a bioweapon," said Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, "we are taking action to provide protection to those servicemembers who are at greatest risk, and also to share available vaccine supplies with the Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies to address possible domestic use situations. This policy coordinates and balances both civil and military needs."

Although anthrax poses an extremely lethal threat, events have shown that antibiotics have provided effective treatment if exposure is known before symptoms have appeared. Accordingly, the policy will focus on reserving stockpiles of the vaccine for emergency situations, to be used in combination with antibiotics after possible exposure. For military servicemembers in higher threat areas of the world, the vaccine will offer an additional layer of protection.
(More: DoD News Source)
2002 © The United States Department of Defense.

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