With more than 25,000 service members started in the anthrax vaccination program in the Persian Gulf region, officials said it is going well, and troops are getting all the facts. DoD is learning from the accelerated vaccination program designed to protect military and civilian personnel from biological attack. Officials acknowledge their assessment doesn't mean everything worked perfectly.
Service members have to feel confident about the reliability of the program.
They said an improved DoD Health Affairs web site makes anthrax information easier to access. Gen. Robert Claypool, deputy assistant secretary of defense for health operations policy. Officials were particularly pleased with the cooperation between the medical and line communities. Defense Secretary William S. Cohen and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Henry H. Shelton set the example when they started the shot series March 2. The secretary and chairman have now received their third shots.