A U.S. Health and Human Services review confirmed that 592 of the cases were certainly or probably caused by the anthrax vaccine. They classified 123 of the cases as serious, and 10 required hospitalization - all due to allergic, inflammation reactions. The military and the Food and Drug Administration say the anthrax vaccine is safe, with no more side effects than many common vaccines and fewer side effects than some immunizations given to children. The Pentagon also says more than 1,500 vaccinated lab workers at a research and development center at Maryland's Fort Detrick have been tracked for 20 years, with no unexplained symptoms. Defense Department officials declined to comment Wednesday but were expected to answer questions today.
Critics say a long-term study on the effects of the vaccine is needed to make sure it is safe.
A letter signed by 35 members of Congress in May urged Defense Secretary William Cohen to suspend the program until a long-term study was done. Meryl Nass, a Maine doctor who has studied the anthrax vaccine for a decade, says she believes the Pentagon has access to long-term studies but won't release the findings. There are 450,000 people out there who have been made guinea pigs. All we need to do is watch them and report what has happened to them. BioPort has been trying to win FDA approval of renovated labs since August 1999.