Commander William Earl Fannin, Class of 1945, Capstone Essay Contest
This essay contest is for first-class midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy and is named in honor of Commander William Earl Fannin, U.S. Naval Academy Class of 1945, and supported by his bequest. Normally, there is a prize awarded in each major warfare specialty.
On 15 December 1997, Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen initiated a program that planned to immunize all active military personnel against anthrax. This program, officially known as the Anthrax Vaccination Immunization Program (AVIP), has come under fire from service members and members of Congress. The program's opponents claim that the vaccine is untested, ineffective, and dangerous to recipients. The House Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Veteran's Affairs, and International Relations recently issued a report calling for an indefinite suspension of AVIP.
Proponents of AVIP rebut these arguments by stating that the vaccine has been in use for nearly 50 years and has been certified by the Food and Drug Administration. Suspicions about the program linger, however: the manufacturing plant has failed numerous FDA inspections; some service members have been afflicted with unusual syndromes after vaccinations; and the vaccine may not be effective, especially against mutated strains of the virus. Presently, there are no definite answers from the Department of Defense to these challenges.
The U.S. military has a history of negligence toward service members regarding emergent warfare technology. Film footage exists of soldiers adjacent to early atomic detonations, protected by only welding goggles and sandbags. The Vietnam War brought with it the toxic defoliant Agent Orange. Most recently, a mysterious illness has afflicted veterans of the Persian Gulf War. The anthrax vaccine is under scrutiny as a potential contributor to this sickness. Tulane University Medical Center has found unusually high amounts of a chemical called squalene in affected soldiers. This substance is used to increase the effectiveness of injected vaccines, but it is so potent that its use on humans is illegal. The government denied using any experimental drugs on Gulf War veterans, but these latest findings have weakened its credibility.1
By the beginning of this year, roughly 400,000 service members had been administered at least the first shot in the six-shot series of anthrax vaccinations. Thus far, nearly 300 service members have refused the injections in addition to those uncounted soldiers who left the military before receiving them. Those refusing the vaccine are subject to court-martial for disobeying an order unless they object on religious or moral grounds.2
The following are facts reported by governmental agencies posted on government websites maintained by the Food and Drug Administration and Congress:
- BioPort Corporation of Lansing, Michigan, is the sole provider of the anthrax vaccine to the Department of Defense. BioPort recently completed a new plant able to handle the increased demand for the vaccine. In November 1999, this plant was inspected by the FDA and found to have about 30 deficiencies in safety, sterility, and consistency. AVIP had to be placed on hold while these problems were addressed. In addition, the cost per injection more than doubled from $4.36 to $10.64.3 The immunization regimen requires six shots over 18 months and an annual booster shot. No research has been made into shortening or altering this course of treatment to cut the program's cost.4
- Another FDA inspection, this one done in February 1998, reported that "Of the 6 sublots contaminated in September and October 1997, 4 were contaminated with B. anthracis, one with Bacillus cereus and one identified only as Bacillus species." The State of Michigan ran an older manufacturing plant previous to BioPort's purchase of the contract, and these contaminated batches were from the older plant. Most of the vaccine currently in inventory, moreover, is from this older plant—which had numerous FDA inspection discrepancies while operational.5
- Many congressmen have taken notice of the controversy surrounding the AVIP program, and members of the military have testified before various committees on the subject. On 12 October 1999, Air Force Major Sonnie Bates detailed before Congress the odd health conditions at Dover Air Force Base and their links to the anthrax vaccine. Twelve people in his squadron had "unusual or disabling illnesses that did not exist prior to the anthrax vaccine and the causes are unknown." Thyroid and liver damage, external and internal cysts, autoimmune disorders, crippling bone/joint pain, seizures, memory loss, vertigo, and inability to concentrate have been documented at Dover. Nearly all of those affected never will be able to fly again.6
- Rates of reaction to the inoculation are high, especially among women. Nearly 70% of female recipients endure some type of side effect, minor or serious. The percentage of service members who missed at least one duty day because of injection reactions is roughly 5% for females and 4% for males. These percentages are from military medical reports; actual numbers could be greaterm based on inaccurate diagnoses. These rates exceed expectations outlined on the vaccine package insert.7
Secretary Cohen, when announcing the start of AVIP, delineated four conditions that should have been met prior to widespread anthrax inoculation. Supplemental vaccine testing was to have been done to determine the safety and sterility of the actual serum. An adequate tracking system was to be implemented to ensure proper injection timelines are followed and annual boosters are received. Implementation and communications links were supposed to be established to aid this process. Finally, an independent medical board was to audit AVIP. None of these preconditions has been met, yet the vaccinations go on.8 Had these actions been taken, AVIP most likely would be a better, more highly trusted program. As it stands, there are too many doubts and suspicions surrounding the vaccinations to realistically continue the program. AVIP should be halted until Secretary Cohen's four conditions have been met.
Ensign Ross is attending nuclear power school in Charleston, South Carolina.
1. Robert Garry, Tulane University Medical Center School of Medicine. back to article
2. Anonymous, "Stop Mandatory Anthrax Vaccination—Now!" March 2000 Proceedings, pp. 100-101. back to article
3. Bradley Graham, "Pentagon Anthrax Program Suffers Setback," The Washington Post, 14 December 1999, p. A12. back to article
4. Christopher Shays, Report of Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans' Affairs and International Relations. back to article
5. Sonnie Bates, Testimony before Committee on Government Reform, 12 October 1999. back to article
6. Ibid. back to article
7. Shays Report. back to article
8. Ibid. back to article