Last Updated

09 Jan 2003

Source:  Reuters, April 5, 2002.

Anthrax Shots Do Not Up Health Visits in Military

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Military personnel deployed to southwest Asia who received immunization against anthrax appear to be no more, or no less, likely to seek medical attention compared with other unvaccinated personnel, according to the results of a preliminary investigation.

Some members of the military have alleged that the vaccine has caused chronic health problems, and the safety of the vaccine is currently being studied.

The process of immunizing all military personnel against anthrax began in March 1998. Since that time, more than 140,000 US Air Force personnel and 508,000 Department of Defense personnel overall have started the anthrax immunization series, the researchers note in a recent issue of the journal Military Medicine.

"This study was designed to give a quick answer to the question of whether vaccinated persons who deployed to southwest Asia were more likely to seek medical care upon their return than their unvaccinated counterparts," write Lt. Col. Paul A. Rehme of the Air National Guard at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, and colleagues.

In the investigation, 4,045 vaccinated men and women were compared with 1,132 unvaccinated men and women. Medical care records from January 1998 through March 1999 were evaluated for all of the study participants.

"We found no indication of an increased propensity for personnel immunized against anthrax to seek medical care after immunization beyond what is expected in their unvaccinated peers," Rehme and colleagues write.

"In fact, we found that persons who have been immunized have virtually the same medical problems as those that have not been immunized," the researchers conclude.

"Numerous studies are currently under way that use much larger populations and follow personnel for longer periods of time," they add.

SOURCE: Military Medicine 2002;167:205-210.