Force Health Protection is enhanced through early warning and detection systems, and proper wear of protective gear. Antibiotics play a limited role, but vaccination is essential. As with other vaccines, minor reactions are common. Serious adverse events may occur rarelyafter any vaccination, but they are rare. Like other vaccines, anthrax vaccine may cause burning, soreness, redness, itching, and swelling at the injection site.
Larger reactions occur about once per hundred vaccinees.
A lump at the site occurs commonly, usually lasting for a few weeks, before going away on its own, if left alone. These symptoms usually go away in less than a week. Any vaccine can cause serious reactions, such as those requiring hospitalization. For anthrax vaccine, they happen less than once per 200,000 doses. Severe allergic reactions occur less than once per 100,000 doses.