Pentagon to Begin Anthrax Shots for All U.S. Troops

The Pentagon will begin a program this week to inoculate all U.S. troops against the deadly threat of anthrax.

Troops in the Persian Gulf began getting the shots earlier this year. The next round of vaccinations will be for men and women serving in Southeast Asia and Korea, the Pentagon said Friday. All of the 2.4 million active and reserve forces will be inoculated by about 2004.

“This is an efficient, effective and safe way to protect our forces against an emerging threat,” Defense Secretary William Cohen said in announcing the start of the total force anti-anthrax vaccinations.

In December, Cohen issued the order to inoculate troops against a potential biological attack. The series of shots for men and women in uniform began in the Persian Gulf because chances were deemed highest there for an attack by Iraq.

So far, 48,000 troops have received inoculations against anthrax and only seven have reported adverse reactions, said Dr. Sue Bailey, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs.

Rear Adm. Michael Cowan, deputy director for medical readiness for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, noted an increasing threat of chemical and biological attacks from several nations that are thought to be developing such weapons. “It’s the poor man’s atomic bomb,” Cowan said.

The immunizations consist of a series of six shots for each service member over an 18-month period, followed by an annual booster.

Anthrax is a disease normally associated with animals such as sheep or goats, but it can be used as a weapon when spores are released into the air and people breathe it into their lungs.