Twenty-five ROTC cadets at an Army training camp were administered nearly double the proper dose of the anthrax vaccine, Army officials said Monday. The vaccines were given Friday during the 2000 Advanced Camp for the Reserve Officers' Training Corps at Fort Lewis. There are few side effects associated with receiving a higher dose of the vaccine, other than soreness in the arm where the shot was administered, the medical center said in a statement. The cadets were given Tylenol and Benadryl to ease any discomfort. The cadets have since returned to training and have not complained of any adverse symptoms, Madigan spokeswoman Sharon Ayala said.
Anthrax is a disease that typically afflicts animals, especially sheep and cattle.
Dry anthrax spores, which can be put into weapons, can be fatal to humans when inhaled. In 1998, Defense Secretary William Cohen ordered all 2.4 million active duty and reserve troops to get shots of the anthrax vaccine, starting with soldiers most likely to encounter biological warfare overseas. The vaccine has come under increasing scrutiny from lawmakers as soldiers have expressed concerns. Complaints included fevers, muscle pain and dizziness, and some members of the military have said morale was plummeting. Federal officials have repeatedly said the vaccine is safe.