Fw: CDC WARNS THAT ANTHRAX VACCINE COULD BE CONNECTED TO BIRTHDEFECTS ~ Army Times

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Subject: CDC WARNS THAT ANTHRAX VACCINE COULD BE CONNECTED TO BIRTHDEFECTS ~

Army Times

> ~~~ Thanks Wayne ~~~

>

> CDC WARNS THAT ANTHRAX VACCINE COULD BE CONNECTED TO BIRTH DEFECTS

>

> The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning civilians that

> the anthrax vaccine may be linked to birth defects if given during

> pregnancy. The notice is the first public acknowledgment of a potential

> link between the vaccine and birth defects. The warning is part of a new

> informed-consent form created by the CDC for certain civilian postal

> workers and Capitol Hill staff who have been offered the vaccine following

> the recent anthrax mail attacks.

>

> Neither the CDC nor the Pentagon would say what types of birth defects

were

> found, the rates of occurrence, who was studied or what time period the

> study covers. " The report is still in draft form only and is currently

> undergoing revisions, " said CDC spokesman Llewyn Grant. " It's not yet

> available for public release. " In a prepared statement, the Navy Bureau of

> Medicine and Surgery said: " Initial findings from research conducted at

the

> Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) suggest that anthrax vaccine

> administered to women during pregnancy may be associated with a higher

risk

> of birth defects in their infants " compared to infants of unvaccinated

> women and those inoculated before and after pregnancy.

>

> The study results " relied solely on automated data, not individual health

> record review or patient interviews, " and must be validated, according to

> the statement. Officials expect to finish validating the study by early

> April, said BUMED spokesman Lt. j.g. Mike Kafka. The statement noted that

> Defense Department policy defers administering vaccines, including the

> anthrax vaccine, to pregnant women. " Nonetheless, women may receive the

> vaccine before they know they are pregnant, " the statement went on.

> " Regardless of this study's results, the DOD is redoubling its efforts to

> prevent the inadvertent vaccination of pregnant women. " The military began

> vaccinating troops against anthrax more than three years ago. Although the

> anthrax vaccine, like other inactivated vaccines, is deferred during

> pregnancy under Pentagon policy, the Defense Department's anthrax vaccine

> web site states that " if a vaccine is inadvertently given to a pregnant

> woman, no adverse pregnancy outcome or fetal harm is expected because of

> the vaccine's inactive state.

>

> Army Times - January 21st, 2002 - page 22.

>

>