Last Updated

16 Dec 2002

Source: Wall Street Journal, December 19, 2001.

SPECIAL REPORT: AFTERMATH OF TERROR

Vaccinations Are Offered to 10,000 People Who May Have Been Exposed to Anthrax

By SARAH LUECK, Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

WASHINGTON -- Federal health officials are offering vaccinations to people who may have been exposed to anthrax in the recent attack, but they are leaving to individuals and their doctors the complicated decision of whether to seek the protection.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson announced that anthrax vaccine is available for about 10,000 potentially exposed people who were told to take antibiotics for 60 days to prevent infection. They also were offered another 40 days' worth of antibiotics or the option of simply monitoring their own health, with the directive to see a doctor if they become sick.

"Some of those people, especially those who may have been exposed to high levels of anthrax spores, may wish to take additional precautions," Mr. Thompson said.

Vaccinations could begin as early as Tuesday, with more than 70 people who were in and near the office of Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle when an anthrax-laden letter was opened in October. Postal workers who opt for the treatment could be vaccinated starting next week.

The vaccine, which is only licensed for pre-exposure protection against anthrax, technically is being offered as part of a study. Those who decide to take it will have to sign an informed consent form showing they were told about the risks and benefits of the vaccine.

The vaccine involves a series of three shots over the course of a month. Side effects generally are limited to swelling and redness at the injection site.

Officials are offering the vaccine due to the possibility that people exposed to large amounts of anthrax still may harbor the bacteria in their lungs and could be infected with dangerous inhalation disease after their antibiotics run out. However, many people didn't heed the recommendation to take a 60-day course to protect themselves, and not one of them has become sick.

It is still unclear how many people will decide to be vaccinated, but D.A. Henderson, head of the federal Office of Public Health Preparedness, said there are no more than 3,000 people who were heavily exposed to anthrax spores. It's still unclear what postal workers in that group will be told to do. The postal workers' union plans to conduct "educational" programs for a week with employees, health officials said.

The U.S. Postal Service was surprised by the announcement, spokesman Mark Saunders said. Officials there asked the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for clear guidelines for which of the thousands of postal workers that took antibiotics might need the vaccine and didn't expect a public announcement until there was a decision. "We had an agreement with them, and they chose not to go with it," Mr. Saunders said.

Health officials said there are too many uncertainties about the recent anthrax outbreak to make a more solid recommendation about which people should be vaccinated. The situation is one where officials are forced to decide whether to offer the vaccine based on "really inadequate information," Dr. Henderson said.

The federal officials' approach could result in widely varying responses at the local and individual level. In Washington, officials were still deciding how to put the HHS announcement into practice. A meeting for local postal workers was being arranged for Wednesday night. In New York, the health department will send a bulletin to physicians outlining the pros and cons of the vaccine and the HHS announcement, said Marci Layton, assistant commissioner. She said the risk of developing inhalation anthrax is low for the media workers there, but "we aren't in a position to say one over another."

-- Chad Terhune contributed to this article.