[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 17]
[House]
[Pages 24951-24952]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  CALLING FOR MORATORIUM ON ANTHRAX VACCINE UNTIL LONG-TERM SAFETY IS 
                               DETERMINED

  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, for the past several 
months, I have taken a strong interest in the Department of Defense's 
mandatory anthrax vaccine program. The Third District of North 
Carolina, which I am proud to represent, has a large military presence 
that has increased my awareness to the anthrax vaccine. As a result, it 
has also raised my level of concern about the safety, the efficacy and 
necessity of the vaccine for our men and women in uniform. Given the 
lack of information we have about the shot, it is not surprising that a 
growing number of our Nation's Reserve, Guard and active duty members 
are choosing to leave the service rather than take a potentially unsafe 
vaccine. The harmful effects this issue is having on the readiness of 
our Nation's military is the driving force behind my efforts to change 
the mandatory nature of the program.
  Recently the Washington Post featured an article about the overdue 
anthrax inoculations intended for our reserve force. The paper reported 
that these delays might threaten the effectiveness of the anthrax 
vaccine. However, even if the shots are administered on schedule, there 
is little, if any, evidence supporting an exact number of shots that 
are needed to reach immunity.
  Despite the lack of information, the anthrax vaccine is currently 
being administered to our troops in a series of six shots followed by 
an additional shot each year the individual serves. A man or woman who 
serves our Nation for 20 years must receive over 25 separate anthrax 
vaccinations. As the Post reported, only 350,000 of the 2.4 million 
military personnel scheduled to take the vaccine have received their 
first shot. Current figures indicate that less than 1500 have received 
all six shots.
  Madam Speaker, the Department of Defense reports that it has evidence 
of only 300, 300 adverse reactions and 200 personnel refusing the 
vaccine, but there are still millions of vaccines left to be 
administered. While we wait for every member of the military to receive 
their full course of shots, we risk losing even more military personnel 
who resign to avoid their anthrax vaccine date.
  Madam Speaker, it costs millions of taxpayers' dollars to train each 
of our men and women in uniform to defend this Nation. We cannot afford 
to lose even one soldier, sailor, airman, or marine to a vaccine that 
has many questioning its safety and efficacy; but it seems that the 
more time passes, the more troops we lose and the more questions 
surface about the current program.
  The relationship between the Department of Defense and BioPort, the 
only company that produces the anthrax vaccine, is beginning to draw 
concerns. BioPort is not even licensed by the Food and Drug 
Administration to manufacture the anthrax vaccination. Now despite its 
financial failings, the Department of Defense has doubled the amount of 
its original contract with BioPort. This aspect of the program alone 
has caused concerns among those who must take the shot.
  Madam Speaker, the need to protect our United States military from 
potential chemical and biological warfare is critical, but we cannot 
accept the risk of exposure as the only reason to mandate the shot and 
ignore the lack of information on the long-term safety of the vaccine. 
If the anthrax vaccine is safe and can effectively combat the threat of 
anthrax for our military, the Pentagon has failed to convince the very 
people it is trying to protect. The questions being raised are serious, 
legitimate questions that must be addressed in order to ensure our 
military receives the answers it needs.
  I introduced legislation this summer to make the current anthrax 
vaccine program voluntary. My colleague, the gentleman from New York 
(Mr. Gilman), introduced a bill to institute a moratorium on the 
program until more testing can determine it is long-term safety.
  Madam Speaker, we are becoming more reliant upon our reserve force to 
help defend the security and interests of this Nation. If these men and 
women

[[Page 24952]]

are concerned that the shot is unsafe, the morale and readiness of our 
military is severely threatened. Then we stand to lose more of the 
bright, capable, and trained individuals who represent the very 
strength of the country. I cannot stand by and watch this happen.
  Let me assure our men and women in the military that I will continue 
with my colleagues to pursue the issue until we can be sure that the 
anthrax vaccine is safe, effective and necessary.

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