LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (ACCNS) -- Air Force officials have resumed the Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program on a voluntary basis for its members under an emergency use authorization (EUA) issued by the Food and Drug Administration.
Based upon the implementing message sent to all major commands May 20, base commanders are to resume the vaccination program under the specific EUA guidelines. Among those guidelines, individuals who are eligible to receive the vaccination may accept or refuse the shots.
The program will continue until the EUA expires on July 27. The status of the program is subject to review after that date.
According to the AVIP Web site, www.anthrax.mil, the EUA ensures people at risk, including military members, have the best medical countermeasures available to protect them against chemical biological and radiological threats.
The emergency use authorization was sought by the Department of Defense as anthrax remains a potential threat to our forces, said Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Russell J. Kilpatrick, ACC command surgeon. Vaccination is the most effective measure we have for preventing anthrax and overcoming the threat it presents.
Under EUA guidelines, all military personnel, emergency essential civilians and mission-essential contractors assigned to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility or the Korean peninsula for 15 or more consecutive days will be offered the vaccine. People with orders to deploy to these locations can receive vaccinations up to two months before departure. Units with bio-defense or other special missions are also eligible to receive the vaccination.
Personnel will cease receiving shots when they leave those locations or cease responsibilities in other included mission areas.
Under the EUA, commanders must provide members both education on the anthrax program and an option to refuse the vaccination without penalty. Refusing the vaccine will not affect the individuals deployment status.
Although there are no disciplinary repercussions for those who choose not to receive the vaccination, the command surgeon strongly recommends vaccination for those at higher risk.
The vaccine has been licensed by the FDA for more than 35 years as a safe and effective method of preventing this deadly disease.
Anthrax is a deadly biological weapon that represents a real and present danger to U.S. military personnel, General Kilpatrick said. Fortunately, we have reliable protective measures against the threat of weaponized anthrax. The vaccine is a key part of those measures.
Since March 1998, more than 1.3 million people have received more than 5.2 million doses of the vaccine under AVIP.
Anthrax can be deadly. In the fall of 2001, attacks with anthrax spores in Washington, D.C., New York City, and Miami led to the deaths of five people.