The intelligence community has determined that anthrax is the primary biological warfare threat faced by U.S. forces. More than 10 countries have, or are suspected of, developing a biological warfare capability. It is, by far, the easiest biological agent to produce and weaponize. Lately, Iraq has admitted to producing and weaponizing anthrax.
Anthrax is a silent killer that is extremely lethal, in both inhalational and intestinal anthrax.
The fatality rate is almost 100 percent. It is both prudent and necessary to protect U.S. troops against a known and dangerous threat. The vaccine is FDA -approved and is relatively cheap to produce, but more importantly, it has proven effective in protecting persons exposed to anthrax in occupational settings. The vaccine has been routinely given in the U.S. since 1970 to protect against workplace exposure to anthrax spores. The vaccine has an excellent safety record.