DOD: VACCINE BAN FOR PREGNANT SERVICEWOMEN STRENGTHENED

[Guest guest]

Since 1999 I have been very vocal criticizing the CDC's policy decision to

vaccinate pregant women with the flu vaccine. (see article on our site

<A HREF= " http://www.vaccineinfo.net/issues/flu_vaccine_warning.htm " >

http://www.vaccineinfo.net/issues/flu_vaccine_warning.htm</A> )

As the number of OB/GYNs giving the flu vaccine has increased, I have been

receiving an alarming rise in the number of email notes from women

miscarrying shortly after taking the flu vaccine. We have not even begun to

look at birth defects. Earlier this week, the DOD issued this statement:

" Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Winkenwerder

issued policy guidance today that reiterates and strengthens long-standing

DoD policy to avoid immunization of servicewomen of childbearing age during

pregnancy. " The people responsible for promoting the vaccination of

pregnant woman in the civilian population need to be held accountable for

their horrible deeds.

It is good to know that pregnant servicewomen won't be receiving the anthrax

vaccine, but this also leads to some important questions:

1) If the vaccine can hurt a developing baby, why can't it hurt an adult and

why are our servicemen and women still having this forced on them without

informed consent?

2) What is the difference between a baby before it is born and a baby 12

hours old getting a hepatits B vaccine?

Dawn

=========

NEWS RELEASE from the United States Department of Defense

No.026-02

(703)695-0192(media)

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 16, 2002

(703)697-5737(public/industry)

VACCINE BAN FOR PREGNANT SERVICEWOMEN STRENGTHENED

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs

Winkenwerder issued policy guidance today that reiterates and

strengthens long-standing DoD policy to avoid immunization of

servicewomen of childbearing age during pregnancy.

This action was taken because of issues raised about preliminary

data from a non-peer reviewed Naval Health Research Center Study

of women who received the anthrax vaccine.

" Although these study results are preliminary and there are

significant concerns about the database that require further

investigation before any conclusions can be made, we are taking

these steps to reaffirm our existing policies, " stated

Winkenwerder.

The preliminary data, which has not been scientifically peer

reviewed and will require further validation, identified a

possible relationship between maternal anthrax vaccination in

the first trimester and higher odds of birth defects. Because

the data supporting the study showed that a number of women

might have received the anthrax vaccine beyond the first

trimester, study data is now being re-validated. The

peer-review publication process usually takes several months.

The final report will be available then.

At the Department's request, the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention will issue a report next week in its Morbidity and

Mortality Report: <A HREF= " http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/ " >http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/

</A> that provides further

details of the study. Winkenwerder's memo is on the Web at

<A HREF= " http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jan2002/d20020116inoc.pdf " >

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jan2002/d20020116inoc.pdf</A> PDF FILE

Web version:

<A HREF= " http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jan2002/b01162002_bt026-02.html " >

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jan2002/b01162002_bt026-02.html</A>

-- News Releases: <A HREF= " http://www.defenselink.mil/news/releases.html " >

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/releases.html</A>

-- DoD News: <A HREF= " http://www.defenselink.mil/news/dodnews.html " >

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/dodnews.html</A>

-- Today in DoD: <A HREF= " http://www.defenselink.mil/today " >

http://www.defenselink.mil/today</A>

==============

<A HREF= " http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/18/health/18ANTH.html " >

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/18/health/18ANTH.html</A>

January 18, 2002

Pentagon Bars Pregnant Women From Taking Anthrax Vaccine

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 (AP) - The Pentagon may start asking women in the

military to take pregnancy tests before getting anthrax shots because a

study suggests vaccinations have resulted in some having babies with birth

defects.

Officials are worried that some of the study's data may be faulty and have

ordered a review, Lt. Mike Kafka of the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

said today.

But because the review could take months, the Defense Department's top

health official is asking each military service to develop a plan in two

weeks to assure that pregnant women in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines

do not get the immunizations in the meantime.

That official, Dr. Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of defense

for health affairs, asked the services to devise a way to enhance the

screening of women of childbearing age, " potentially including pregnancy

testing, " to prevent pregnant women from getting the vaccine.

The Pentagon in 1998 ordered the vaccination of all 2.4 million members of

the active and reserve military to protect them against anthrax bacteria

that, when inhaled, can cause death in a few days. It started with those

deployed to Korea and the Middle East.

A shortage of doses last year forced a cut so only troops on " special

missions, " which officials declined to identify, were vaccinated.

Throughout the program, health care workers were supposed to be asking women

if they were pregnant to avoid vaccinating those who were expecting. It is

unclear whether pregnant women who got the shots were not asked or did not

know they were pregnant at the time.

The study also seemed to indicate that some women might have been vaccinated

after their first trimester, by which time they would probably have known

they were pregnant. This prompted officials to question the data.

Under the program, more than 525,000 service members have received one or

more shots. The six- shot regime is given over 18 months, followed by a

booster each year.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Dawn

PROVE(Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education)

<A HREF= " mailto:prove@... " >prove@...</A> (email)

<A HREF= " http://vaccineinfo.net/ " >http://vaccineinfo.net/</A> (web site)