Inhalation anthrax is the disease that results from breathing anthrax. Under expected battlefield conditions, experts believe you can inhale enough anthrax spores to kill you in one deep breath. Symptoms of inhalation anthrax can begin as early as 24 hours after breathing the spores. Biological weapons are maintained by several countries around the world. Use of these weapons could cause widespread illness among unprotected personnel.
Vaccines prevent illness by stimulating the body's natural disease-fighting abilities.
They are among the most powerful tools developed by modern medicine for keeping people healthy. Vaccines are routinely used in the United States to protect against diseases such as mumps, measles, whooping cough, and polio. As part of medical protection, personnel are given additional vaccines to protect against naturally occurring diseases encountered when overseas, such as typhoid, hepatitis, and yellow fever. Vaccines also help protect against biological weapons. The Department of Defense has established a vaccination program to protect personnel against anthrax.