Defense Secretary William Perry is considering a Pentagon plan to vaccinate the 1.5 million members of the active-duty military against the deadly biological warfare agent anthrax, senior defense officials said Wednesday. Gen. John Shalikashvili, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, gave the verbal go-ahead and is expected to send Perry a formal recommendation shortly. Service members within 35 days of going to those areas would be next on the priority list. The program, described in Wednesday's editions of the Washington Post, marks a reversal of policy among senior commanders, who have worried that the vaccine was costly, not needed and might have worrisome side effects. Anthrax is considered the most lethal of biological agents by the U.S. government.
Anthrax is an infectious disease that normally afflicts animals, especially cattle and sheep.
Veterinarians and others who work with these animals are among those who have been inoculated. The Anthrax spores are stable and remain viable in water and soil for years. Of greater importance to the Pentagon, anthrax can easily be put into a dry powder form that can be stored as a weapon for long periods. Inhaling even microscopic amounts can be fatal. The inoculation provides effective protection.