Guest guest Posted April 12, 1999 Report Share Posted April 12, 1999 USA Today April 12, 1999 Gulf War Illness The General Accounting Office and Rep. Jack Metcalf, R-Wash., are pointing to a controversial vaccine additive as a possible cause of Gulf War Illnesses, the mystery sicknesses complained of by about one-sixth of those who served in the 1991 war. Metcalf has asked the House Armed Services and Veterans' Affairs committees to investigate the possible use of an experimental substance called " squalene " in vaccinations designed to protect troops against biological warfare. Armed with a GAO report critical of the Pentagon and with the results of some private scientific research, Metcalf wants the committees to push the Defense Department into doing its own tests of Gulf War veterans for evidence of squalene, which is a fatty substance found in minute quantities in the human liver. It has long been eyed by scientists as a possible addition to vaccines to make them work faster and longer. It is unlicensed and has yet to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration for human use. Several studies have found that injected squalene triggers arthritis and other immune system afflictions in rats and monkeys. The Pentagon for years has steadfastly denied that it used any squalene in troop vaccinations. -- Hanchette, Gannett News Service Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.