New licensing change for anthrax vaccine

[Guest guest]

Both changes make scientific sense. There are fewer local (but equal

systemic) reactions when you give the vaccine deeper into muscle.

Skipping the 2 week dose is smarter on all counts: it did not yield

appreciable benefit in terms of increased antibody levels, makes

administration of vaccine conform with a reservist schedule, and gives

the recipient less toxic material to process.

It may slightly decrease the rate of serious adverse effects, but

there is no evidence yet proving this. The vaccine remains highly

reactive, and its protection in the event of inhaled anthrax exposure

remains very open to question. These two changes are likely to make

it marginally less bad for recipients.

Meryl

Meryl Nass, MD

Mount Desert Island Hospital

Bar Harbor, Maine 04609

W 207 288-5081 ext. 1220

C 207 522-5229

H 207 244-9165

pager 207 818-0708

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