The Anthrax vaccine, a mandatory immunization for many people serving in the US military, has been linked to dozens of serious side effects and adverse reactions. But in spite of this, the Department of Defense still insists that the defective drug is perfectly safe. And even though thousands of veterans have been permanently disabled following reactions to Anthrax vaccine side effects, the US government refuses to classify these injuries as combat related. As a result, many disabled veterans face even greater economic hardship because their already-paltry disability benefits are still subject to income tax.
The US military began requiring many of its uniformed personnel and civilian contractors to receive an Anthrax vaccine in 1998, amid concerns that enemies might use the deadly virus in biological weapons. Since then, well over 1 million people have received the controversial Anthrax vaccine. In 2004, military personnel were given a reprieve from mandatory Anthrax vaccinations when a US court ruled that the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) had to approve its use. But the FDA did that in short order in 2005, and now the Anthrax vaccine is again a requirement for soldiers and contractors serving in the Middle East, Central Asia and Korea.
To date, the FDA has received more than 5,000 adverse event reports for the Anthrax vaccine on its Vaccine Adverse Reporting System. At least 670 reports were classified as “serious”, and 44 resulted in deaths. Some doctors have attributed 10-15 medical conditions to the Anthrax vaccine, and the side effects include everything from hearing loss, sleep disorders and neurological problems that mimic Multiple Sclerosis. In spite of this, the Anthrax vaccine is not part of the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program that allows people injured by defective vaccines to collect money for their injuries.
Soldiers and their families have repeatedly asked the Defense Department to stop using the Anthrax vaccine, but so far it has refused. For soldiers disabled by the Anthrax vaccine, life becomes both a physical and financial struggle. Those suffering the most serious Anthrax vaccine side effects can no longer work, and are forced to rely on disability payments that can equal as little as a third of what they earned before they became sick. What’s worse, even though the Anthrax vaccine is purportedly meant to protect these soldiers in combat situations, the injuries resulting from them are not considered combat related. As a result, these already cash-strapped veterans must pay taxes on these small disability payments.
So far, the US military has resisted all efforts to recognize Anthrax vaccine side effects, let alone reclassify these debilitating injuries as combat related. But a new bill in Congress could provide help to some veterans disabled by Anthrax vaccine side effects. While not specifically related to the Anthrax vaccine, the Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act would give all disabled soldiers the same benefits given to retired veterans with 20 years of service. While this won’t protect future soldiers from the ravages of Anthrax vaccine side effects, the act could lighten the financial burden faced by those disabled from exposure to this dangerous vaccine.
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April 12th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
how can i get more information on the side effects and treatment
May 4th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
My active duty Army Career atarted Jan 1991, i recieved multi- vaccinations when i processed in and when i was getting ready to deploy I recieved more. Yes anthrax was one of them. To this date I have had multipule nerve operations hands shaking all the time loss of memory. where can i get more info on treatment, and actual side effect info.
June 8th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
I am veteran of Operation Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. I had recieved 4 of the 5 anthrax vaccinations. I now have some very strange syptoms, such as, abnormal hair loss, chronic fatigue, insomnia, and depression to name a few. The Dep. of Vet. Affairs has failed to acknowledge that these symptoms are because of the anthrax vaccination. Their usual explanation is that it is because I am a smoker. This is just preposterous.
June 24th, 2009 at 8:07 am
I was a soldier from 1998-2001 and received multiple shots duringmy time in. I didnt realize it till now but there were talks that we had to take some anthrax shots by our officers and our sergeants. I knew the risks involved and said no Im not taking any but a few months later we were given shots that were so called flu shots. What was weird is that it wasnt done at the hospital or clinics but in an office room as we formed lines. I now have sleep disorders depression hair loss and Im only 31, chest pain and feelings of dread and death. I get vertigo and feel extremely weak at times as if i hadnt eaten in days and will die soon. I also never had asthma my whole life and while serving I developed asthma. I saw my run time go from 2 miles in 13 minutes to 17-18 minutes this at my so called physical peak in life. Is there a way to test oneself to see if a person has ever had an anthrax vaccine shot. A friend of mine was getting the shots on site at our post so I know they had the vaccine there. Please help me in finding this out.
June 27th, 2009 at 6:10 am
My daughter served in the military and received the anthrax vac. 11 yrs. ago, since then she has severe headaches, last night we took her to the ER her hands were shaking and she was dillusional. Anyone have any links or similar conditions?
July 21st, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Does antrax my ability to have a child?
July 26th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
I was a soldier from 2000-2005 I was given several anthrax vaccine shots,I had a a adverse efect each time where the shot was given,and also as time past my health declined I suffer,chronic fatigue,loss of hair,violent behavoir towards my wife while in the service and recieving these shots.I have fibrmyalgia symptons,pain in my spine with numbness in my hands and feet,migrane head aches,depression,sleep disorders,low attention span,unable to consentrate,skin disorders,change’s in my vision,and this may sound odd but after each shot my wife complained that my seman burned her like acidic~I have many others as well.Cand someone help us please ~help in this matter.sincerely christian
July 29th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
I was in the Navy from Oct 89-Mar 05. I recievied TWO series of anthrax vaccinations. The first series…shortly before shipping to Iraq in 91 (which for some reason is NOT in my medical record) I remember being terrified at 20 yrs old because there were rumors flying around that these “vaccinations” and the atropine and 2pam chloride weren’t going to help us. Turns out the vaccinations or “something” I was exposed to has caused me to have chronic pain in my joints and muscles. I have a hard time focusing. I have moments of clarity (like now) but they are getting fewer and farther between. I have had to have all my teeth pulled because they began to rapidly decay after the initial series of injections. Chronic headaches. I have trouble remembering simple things. I have been on antidepressants since 1992 and still am to this day. I get sick at the drop of a hat because my immune system sucks. I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. I have been told, after asking that I be tested for arthritis, I have been diagnosed with multilevel lumbosacral spondyloarthropathy, which is a fancy word for arthritis. I have NO history of this in my family. I can bend the tips of my fingernails back to the point that the actually touch the nail bed….they do not break however. They simply “bend” back as though they were rubber. My toenails are no better. But yet, not one single doctor I have shown this to has been able to tell me what causes this. Side effect maybe? I do not have a single day that does not have pain in it. I have, for years had to take pain killers that have now ruined my liver. I have kidney stones. When I joined the Navy in 1989 I ran a 7:48 min mile and a half. Now I can barely stand long enough to do my own dishes. By the way. I am ONLY 38 years old.
Here’s another TRUE story about anthrax vaccinations. My cousin joined the Air force in 2003. She was in boot camp for exactly 2 weeks. She is now %100 disabled. She had an adverse affect to an anthrax vaccination given to her 24 hrs earlier. Her medical record and all record of her anthrax vaccination is NO WHERE to be found. She and her parents even tried to have Congressman Jeff Miller help them. His office was told told that the record was simply “lost”. Now, anyone who has ever been associated with the military KNOWS how anal retentive they are about records and record keeping. Me thinks cover-up? No medical proof that THIS is what caused her to have a complete and total mental breakdown, severe headaches, body and muscle pain to this day. Now….2 weeks in boot camp….no medical records…but yet she was retired…at %100 after spending 3 MONTHS recovering in the hospital? When are ppl going to wake up and realize, WE…THE PEOPLE need to do something about the TESTING of vaccines on sailors and soldiers!!! And for anyone who says this is in my head, I can only say to you…I wish it was just in my head.
August 14th, 2009 at 8:17 am
I trained In the summer of 06 in Camp Shelby Miss. And Was Told that we had to take the shot it is the Military Law and if we did not we would be Artical 15 Loose Rank We would Be Subjected to the UJMC. When I took my First Shot even though I was against it I had the symtoms of my Testicals Ache-ing on the 2nd day and a Headache that lasted for 3 days and wasnt mild eather. 30 days later I had to take my 2nd shot before I boarded the plane for Iraq and again the same symtoms but the headachs were more sever. Iv had all the way up to 5 shots. Iv had issues with my Thought process, Massive Headachs, Tinitus, Loss of eye sight, Nerve damage in my right Arm and left knee, Heres a good one Disk Desease, And a BAD ATTITUDE Twords My Wife and Children/Familie and Friends and at Work. They (DR’s) keep telling me that its all in my head and due to the things that I was involved in in Iraq. I Was A 100% Fit Soldier When I Left for Iraq and Now Im Nothing So they put me on all kinds of Pills. I do Beleave that ANTHRAX SHOTS have done alot of Damage to me and My Brothers and Sisters of this war We are Jst Ginny Pigs For our Goverment. I Live with these pains and Issues every day. I served for my country and this is what I came home to more B.S. and alot of Trouble to deal with. WoW!!!!!.
August 19th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
due too a clerical error I received a double dose of the anthrax vaccination while serving in the 8th Army Korea. The only side effect I had were heart palpitations. But I did see first hand soldiers develop psychological problems immediately after being vaccinated. The worst physical side effect I saw was migraine headaches followed by bleeding from the tear ducts, I wouldn’t believe it If I hadn’t seen it myself
September 15th, 2009 at 9:34 am
I was in the navy 1995-2002, i received the anthrax vaccinations, but at the same time i was getting those they were giving ppd shots i think that is what they are called, the ones that go in your forearm. Well instead of giving my a ppd shot they gave me a anthrax shot in my forearm thinking it was the other shot, it had a lot of anthrax vaccine in the needle. They gave me a number to call if i had any side effects. I got pretty sick, but they told me that it was just a normal side effect. But to this day, i forget a lot, have strange discoloration in my skin and where i was given the shot a scar still remains, it this all normal, is there some one i can call to get a better list of side effects.
September 23rd, 2009 at 4:57 am
I ran across this website and couldn’t believe what I was reading. When I received the Anthrax vaccination in 1998 at Ft. Hood, TX, I remember my urine turning the color of dark beer; only an hour after receiving it. I immediately called the ER and they told me to come in to be evaluated. Of course, they brushed it off as an “adverse reaction” to the vaccination. That was very scary. I have not had any further reactions that I know of, but that was enough.
September 26th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Wow! I never would have thought all my health issues my be related to the anthrax shot. I recently spoke to a person about my health issues and was advised to contact Walter Reid Hospital for an exam. You all might want to do the same if you haven’t already.
I too have been fighting with unexplained migrains and 2 years ago I was put on Amitryptaline by a military doctor to control the headaches. I have suffered from arthritis in my lower back an many skin/dermatitis infections. I am good as long as I am taking some sort of antibiotic but as soon as they are out my system I get sick with some sort of other illness or skin disease. I just recently had to have part of my saliva gland in my left cheek removed because of an infection and a benign mass. I am 40 years old and have been found unfit for retention because of my arthritis, headaches and reliance of pain medications.
September 27th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
I have has some of the same effects to the Anthrax series. My question is, will the side effects go away in a certin time frame or will I suffer with this crap teh rest of my life?
September 28th, 2009 at 9:16 am
My contract to the militatry was only for two years. once i arrived in S Korea my first and last duty station, i began recieveing the series of anthrax shots my blood pressure raised to 270/180. i was not aware of the serioous of the numbers until i was out the military… now at age 33 i have arthritis that was mis- diagnose while i was in the army…..
September 28th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
I was in the Navy from 1998-2004. Aside from getting 600 times the lethal dose of H2S, which is another story. I also received 2 shots over the 6 in the series. Life is hell on earth which I know many reading this can relate too. If you don’t know what to do about the pain there is good news.
If you live in one of the 13 states that have medical marijuana get it asap it works pretty good. If you don’t live in one of the 13 you should research them and find out which state you fit into best and move there. We should all also figure out how to unite our voices protest the VA hospitals if need be because help ain’t comming any time soon. Look how long it took vets that are suffering from agent orange.
October 1st, 2009 at 8:49 pm
I served in the Navy from 1997 to 2007, I recieved 3 of the 6 anthrax shots, I had a 5 year physical and everything was normal, 7 months after I took the Anthrax Vaccinations, my liver was jacked up! My triglycerides levels went from 176 to 1214 in less than a year, everything else that has to do with my liver is going downhill fast and Im only 36! The VA said I had Fatty Liver disease and gave me 30% disability. Unbelievable…..
October 6th, 2009 at 11:23 am
I’m currently on medical hold for 6 to 9 months due to an anthax injection. The problem started when the injection was given too high on my shoulder (directly into my joint). The following morning I get barely get out of the bed. After 7 months of constant pain during my deployment, I was finally sent in for an MRI. I was diagnosed with a fully torn rotator cuff that will require surgery to fix. My integrity has been questioned on several occasions. I’ve never had any pre-existing injuries to my shoulder. I’m being told that there is no possible way by that an anthrax shot could cause that. What I do know is that the day that person stuck me with that needle I’ve had problems ever since, anyone else with a similar shoulder problem from the injection?
October 13th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
I was given the anthrax vaccine while I was in the Army prior to deploying to desert storm and now prior to deploying to iraqi freedom. I have developed muscle and joint pain, chronic headaches that bring me to tears…almost:), i lost most of my hearing in my right ear, terrible tinnitus, memory loss, back pain, and i am one irritable sob at times. i am still in the military and even though they medivaced me from iraq, the military refuses to pay me medical continuation pay and cancelled my benefits. No man left behind??? Yeah, right!
October 13th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
If not mistaken, I believed I was one of the recipients of this vaccination or shall I call test or experiment person. I received all my anthrax shots including the booster shots when I was still active in the military-6 shots all in all from 13 jan 99 to 05jun 00. There was a significant changed prior to retiring with my hearing-hearing loss, sleep disorder-sleep apnea with full CPAP, chronic arthritis is also a major pain, and others-too much to mention. Now, I’m retired, my hearing loss is getting worst, my memory is very much affecting my relationship with my family especially my wife. Most of the time, we argued because I blamed her all the time where important things were not properly taken care of. For example, I blamed her of not securing documents into proper locations but at the end, I mishandled them by not giving it to her or I put them somewhere else I don’t remember. There are times I look for my car keys where in fact I’m holding them. It’s very uncomfortable sleeping with CPAP and orthotic, when constantly urinating at night that need to be disconnected or removed prior to getting up. I am not really sure if these are the effects of this anthrax vaccination….
October 14th, 2009 at 6:06 am
my husband received the anthrax vaccine prior to deployment 2 years ago. He has since developed many problems including, inability to sleep, chonic fatigue, muscle pain and weakness, (he went from running 8 miles a day to being exhausted after walking around the block.) arthritis like symptoms in his hands with one hand being colder than the other, irritiblity, and the list goes on and on. He has had every test in the book done on him and no diagnosis, when I suggested it could be from the vaccine the doctor shrugged it off saying it wasn’t likely. I don’t believe it though!!!
October 14th, 2009 at 8:56 am
I’ve had 5 of the 6 anthrax shots. I just turned 30 and my joints have started aching the past 3 months (after the 5 shot). I’ve now been diagnosed with arthitis. All day Every day my joints ache!! I was fine until that 5th shot. I had small adverse reactions to each of the first 4 shots but no immediate, visible one after the 5th. It took a few months but look at me now
October 16th, 2009 at 6:50 am
I’m so scared at this point, my husband an AD Navy was deployed on 2007 and on his way to Iraq was vaccinated with this Anthrax poison, now he’s having lots of symptoms like memory lost, head aches, hearing lost and he’s been telling me that some times he feels like he’s not even able to do anything at work, at home. I need some help please. Where ca we go to see if all this problems are related to this vaccinations? I’ll pray for all military people that are treated like laboratory rats, stop given so many drugs, and face the consequences…
October 16th, 2009 at 8:13 am
My son was amoung the first military reseverest sent to dessert storm/shield. he was given the anthrax shots i don’t know how many. Once he was back home in later years he became depressed, paronoid tired al the time. He did go to the VA to find out what was wrong with him. They said he was having problems from shots he was given when in desert storm/shield. No one knows what happened on april 20, 2008 except he packed cloths for him and two of his daughters to go on a trip. His wife and him were getting a divorce and she had left to do volunteer work in Belize(shes a nurse in operating room who gives the medication to put you out.
Anyway on the date listed Jeff and his two daughters died of carbon monozite in their car in their garage. Jeff would not smoke in the car with the girls in it. when he was found he had a cigarette burn on between his fingers. I had talked to him and his oldest daughter talked to him alittle after midnight. He seemed fine was eagar to get away and vist his dad in ohio then he was going to tenn and then to ark. He was on medication for depression and had taken a dose that night. He had mood swings, depression overly tired. I’m sure there were other symtum. I talk to his sister inlaw who was also over in saudie at the time Jeff was there and she says they were given the anthrax shots and some of the nurses refused to take the shot because it had’t been tested yet. My son did not have depression was not overly tired and did not have these mood swings before in went into the service, now I’m thinking the military had something to do with his and our granddaughters deaths. If the shorts weren’ tested shame on the military . Jeff died at the age of 38, daughters were 5 and 10.
He was told he had some problems and they were from saudie. Now were do I go to clear his name. Automaticly things like this are claddified as suide /murder. and where do i find out what his dianosis was. He was told this within the last 4 years.
October 18th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
Well i to have had my symptoms from the Anthrax vaccine, all 6 recived between 98-99. In 2000 was diagnosed with diabetes and was given a 40 percent disability. Over the years been dealing with a great deal of pain. some do to diabetic nueropathy so i’m told. Migrain headaches, back pain with nothing coming up structuraly in an MRI. I really feel though as if i want to jump out of my skin and just get demonic(sort of speak). Memory loss, my wife and two boy’s can only learn to deal with, i cant remember if i’m coming or going. by the way i think i’m only 34 I have to ask my wife. I wish somehow we could all voice our conditions to the public to be heard.
October 22nd, 2009 at 7:45 pm
My husband started loosing his vision in his left eye while in the Navy. He had the 2 series of the vaccine. They gave him a 20% disability for loosing total vision in his left eye. Since then he has been fighting numbess that goes to extreme pain in his left side of his body. In so much pain he can no longer work or hold our 2 year old son. We have gone to the VA and nothing. Nuroligist are a joke no one believes us. He has become a real ass hole to me when I am the one that supports him the most almost becoming bi polar. No body seems to care about us vets!!!
October 26th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
I serve in the Army from 93 till 2000. I’ve had lots of headaches over the past few years and my short term memory has been affected. My body is covered in fatty masses all over my body. I had some of these removed while I was still in the Army and more removed since I got out. I had none of these prior to entering the service.
October 27th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
I am a Veteran of Operation Enduuring Freedom, and was deployed in the first wave in 2003, and was given 4 of the 5 vaccines, in addition to small poks, since 2003 I have not slept Naturaly, and Anxiety,depression are getting severe. Any help V.A will not have anything to do with me.
October 28th, 2009 at 11:03 am
10/28/2009
my son is in iraq. he recived amthorax vaccine 2 days later has blood clot in leg. he went to medic and was given a sock to stop the clot from traveling. he was put on light duty. to day as he was walking to see the medic again the clot moved. no xrays no test done nothing was done. i guess they are waiting for the clot to travel and kill him. where can my son get help. he is 28 and very healthy.
October 28th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
I was listening to the radio and a doctor mentioned that veterans were complaining of chronic pain, almost MS like symptoms and that they may be the side affects of anthrax vaccinations. The discussion was on the Novel H1N1 virus (Swine Flu) and it quickly changed back to that subject. It was like a bolt of lightning, my pain started the same year I started my Anthrax series. My father was exposed to (infected by) Agent Orange that was harmless, wasn’t it? Oh wait, no it was NOT! A couple years ago I thought I had a stroke, because I could not write or think correctly, but the doctors found nothing wrong. I have numbness and pain all over. I have been in constant pain for years now, one of the major reasons I left the service was the constant pain. I was an E6 with 11 years in the service when I didn’t reenlist. I considered myself a lifer and I was never in combat, just life on a carrier. I am not one for conspiracies and I dread them, but this seems to be very real to me. Now to find the name of the Doctor that was on the radio show and report my issues to him. Dr. Holtdorf of the Holtdorf Medical Group.
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:32 pm
I deployed to Iraq in 2004 and returned in 2005. In August of 2008 I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. I am still on active duty awaiting an MRB. I received 2 Anthrax shots prior to my unit going to Ft Hood. I then received the 1st 2 shots again and then the 3 shot. I never completed the series. My medical records do not show the 1st 2 shots given me. How can I prove this and what will the military give me for now this disability that will put me out of the army?
November 3rd, 2009 at 2:05 pm
I served in the Navy from 2000-2004. We were told we were getting the vaccines on our way to Afganistan. I refused and was told I would be held in the brig the entire deployment, considering I was with the first wave of Marines and we were told there was no specific return date personally by Donald Rumsfeld (whose ass I would personally love to kick). I got the injection under duress. I received 4 more. Every one made me sick. I started getting Migraines after the first one but never realized the correlation. I am tired all the time. I have severe anxiety and overwhelming dread on a regular basis. I can’t sleep, and when I do I wake at the smallest noise. I have a very hard time concentrating and I have bad memory lapses, words constantly evade me when I am speaking. I have always been a very eloquent speaker and this has been devestating. When I got out I went to Law school, and it was such a struggle to get through, but I did. In 2006 I had a lump removed from my arm. I had a regular doctor look at it and his first reaction was that I must have gotten a live dose of the Anthrax. Which made sense since they recalled it about 6 months after I got out. I was forced to get my last shot less than 13 weeks before I seperated! However when I went to the VA they actually performed surgery to remove it and after they stiched me up they told me there was nothing there…Really… they operated on NOTHING???? Did everyone imagine the very palpable lump? The Bush administration should be ashamed of themselves. I signed up to defend my country, not to be the Government’s Guinea pig!!!!!
November 5th, 2009 at 11:56 am
nov 5 2009 i left a message here on oct 28, my sons clot has moved to him hip. the medics did blood test said his blood was thick. sent him back to light duty with no medication. 2 nights ago he called me. he had been released from icu back to light duty, he had heart pains and pains up and down his neck and arm medics treated him with nito and aprin. and told him he was fine. so he is back at light duty. feelling the same.where is the help for my son. i think the prisons provide better care for inmates than what is provided for our military. still no help
November 5th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
I am an F-16 pilot, 40 combat missions during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. This website and all the posts have opened my eyes. I have had, and still battle severe, mysterious, elusive chronic health problems with no apparent positive, predictable symptoms or cause. The worst part is that it just makes you so miserable and unhappy, but leaves you thinking you still have to try to function and hold a job in the civilian world, because you would feel guilty going on disability because there is nothing with the naked eye apparently wrong with you. Among my problems: Bad digestive disorders; unpredictable energy crashes; chronic fatigue; chronic depression; severe irritability – tearing off my tshirts and punching my fist through the wall for no apparent reason; 13 of 15 PTSD-type symptoms; chronic anxiety disorder, and panic/anxiety attacks with no apparent cause. This is all from a life-loving, light-hearted farm boy from Ohio that was happy just hunting and fishing all the time and loving my family. Oh, by the way, during 1999-2003, I received 5 anthrax vaccinations (among a countless list of others). When I separated from the military in 2003, I couldn’t drive across the St Louis bridge on my way home to Ohio. I had to stop the car and take deep breaths because the ominous sight of the bridge made me “freak out”. This was a common occurance. All this from a guy with multiple air medals, aerial achievement medals, and many others. I am now a government conspiracy believer. Just don’t know where to go from here to get help for a happy future. I hold a great job in professional aviation and am about to just walk away I am so miserable.
By the way: a squadron mate F-16 pilot from the war had a brain tumor develop (he had brain surgery), and his civilian doctor says he estimates it started growing about the time of his first anthrax shot.
November 8th, 2009 at 12:52 am
I rec’d anthrax vaccinations when deployed for Operations Desert Storm/Desert Shield. The package insert for this vaccine stated: “NOT FOR MILITARY USE”, yet we were still given it. The vaccine was originally intended for laboratory personnel that might become exposed to anthrax in their job. It was NEVER intended for use against “Weapons Grade” anthrax. Since that time I’ve experienced a strange rash that comes and goes.(It’s painful and drives me nuts.) My memory has taken a hit. My joints, especially my hands, hips, knees, and shoulders hurt most of the time and I’m chronically fatigued. I complained about this when I returned and was given the Army’s drug of choice…motrin….nothing else. I was examined and told “nothing is wrong”. After I got out of the Army I was seen by the V.A. and my complaints were ignored. I have been seen at the V.A., several times, for the same ailments and again, ignored.(I don’t think it was even written down.) I have also developed “blazing” headachs and been told it’s “probably” migrains or stress although I had no prior history of “migrains” until after the anthrax vaccinations. A short research will show that the company that made this vaccine (BioMedCorp, I think) changed their fermentation/filtration process for this vaccine somewhere around 1990, but did not inform the FDA. This change in processing procedures produced a vaccine that was, by accounts, approx. 100 times as potent as the previous vaccine being used. There is also a question about an “adjunct” used in the vaccine that was banned for use in the U.S. and Europe because of the side-effects it produced.(The “adjunct” begins with an ‘S’, but I can’t remember the exact name…) Of course the company denied its use, but some random testing, both in the U.S. and England, found this “adjunct” was present in the lots of anthrax vaccine tested. The Gov’t, especially the Military, normally keeps a close watch on the companies it contracts with to ensure that the ’standards’ it has set, for “Military Use”, are met. I find it VERY hard to believe that neither the Gov’t or the Military knew anything was wrong with this vaccine. (That is unless the vaccine had never been properly tested and was “experimental” in nature OR the test results were fraudulently reported as “safe” for whatever reason.) By-the-way, ALL of this is rather reminicent of the ‘Agent Orange’ scandal that came out of Viet Nam. (Since Anthrax is considered such a danger to our military, it only stands to reason that ALL our Country’s LEADERS should get the same vaccine so we won’t be leaderless should the unthinkable happen. It should be done in such a way that the vaccine they get is verified as Anthrax…and not ‘normal saline’.)
November 9th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
I too received anthrax vaccinations while in the ARMY at Ft Bliss. I didnt really understand the coorelation between the shots and my medical issues until just recently (almost 10 years out of the service). I recall that right after my first shot, which was January 1999, I immediately was nauseated and dizzy. I was put on bed rest and provided light duty. Within a week I began to blister while working outdoors and couldnt figure it out. I was repremanded from my platoon sergant because I had not taken the correct precautions to cover my skin in the sun and I could have earned myself an Article 15; however, the skin problem was out of my control. I had the second dose, and again experienced the same nausea and dizziness that I did with my first shot. I was not able to eat for several days after each shot, laid in bed until the room stopped spinning, and suffered from the worst migraine. The blisters got so bad after the second shot that I was sent to the doctors to find out why. They did some lab work which showed that my ANA levels were 2000 fold what a normal person should have been. They began to test for a lupus type disease, but could not come up with enough clinical correlation to diagnose me. I was provided a medical profile allowing me only 30 minutes of direct sunlight per day and was then medically discharged. The VA has given a service connected disability for the ‘photosensitivity’; however, continue to deny that my medical issues are related to the vaccine. I suffer from terrible migraines, vision changes (my vision was 20/70 without glasses in 1998 and is now 20/300+), joint aches, insomnia, memory loss, water blisters that appear year round, I no longer produce tears and have had to put plugs into my tear ducts to help me focus, and a sever sense of anxiety. I have photographs that document the strange blisters I get year round, and more recently these blisters will fill with pus. The only way to relieve the pain from the blisters is to drain them, but then you end up with an open sore on exposed skin. It is hard to take my children on our summer vacations because I can only be in shadded areas. It looks like I have a form of chicken pox most of the summer, and now it has moved into appearing year round. I have my VA appointment tomorrow to go over all my clinical documentation and research I have done. I have not been able to find any clinical testing done on the vaccine that was made by BioPort in the late 1990’s, which makes me wonder what they have done with the shots. The worst part of this whole ordeal is that I tried to explain to my primary care provider about all the mysterious issues that I suffer from. He stared blankly because he has never seen or had to treat someone of my calibur. He wondered why the VA wouldnt see me and treat these issues…..guess he is not to savy on how well the government helps their soldiers.