Guinea pig and mouse death rates after anthrax vaccine

This review compiles all the published guinea pig and mouse studies of Biothrax (aka AVA) anthrax vaccine, and compares it to the British, Russian and livestock anthrax vaccines. Biothrax gave the experimental animals the lowest survival rates compared to the other three vaccines. Click here.

Senate Veterans Affairs Testimony on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses

My testimony to the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee was written to answer many persisting questions about these illnesses. It discussed the myths and the facts, while reviewing the recent research on Gulf War Syndrome. I tried to highlight what has been missing from the studies, and provide some ideas on where to go from here. Finally, I discuss the kinds of treatments I employ, and the barriers to receiving effective treatment for Gulf War veterans. Click on the testimony here.

The most arresting thing I heard in the hearing was the DOD physician's statement that 15-20% of current deployed troops to OIF and OEF are returning with ill-defined medical symptoms. This needs to be studied and remedied immediately.

Is Anthrax Vaccine Really Being Used to Save Soldiers from Anthrax?

Let's explore the reasoning for using anthrax vaccine.

It is supposed to protect you against anthrax. No studies of the current vaccine have been done in humans to see if it works, and how well it would work. It works in some animals but not others.

But for argument's sake, let's assume it works well. Will an enemy spray troops with anthrax if it knows the troops have all been vaccinated with an effective vaccine? Keep in mind that military doctrine calls for a powerful response to biological attack, which could include nuclear weapons. It's not very likely that an enemy would take such a big chance against effectively vaccinated troops, since there would be very little to gain.

If the enemy was serious about biological weapons, and ready to risk it all, the enemy would instead use a weapon that troops have no defense against, like botulism or Ebola.

This is a key concept: Anthrax vaccine isn't meant to save troops after an attack--its true purpose is to DETER an anthrax attack. Anthrax vaccine is also being given to soldiers to make a statement to Congress and to the world: vaccinations are "proof" that the US is prepared and ready for biological warfare.

But if the truth be known, the US is entirely unprepared for attacks by many types of bioweapons. We have no vaccine and no antibiotics for most viruses, for example, and no antidote for most toxins. Even bacteria can be made antibiotic-resistant.

Carrying a supply of doxycycline or cipro would provide an equal amount of deterrence as anthrax vaccine, with considerably less danger to troops, and at a much lower cost. DOD has been allowed to store most antibiotics for ten years to increase shelf life. This is not an approved option for vaccines, which is why the US will be wasting 100's of millions of dollars on anthrax vaccine that has been stockpiled by DHHS.

It would be better to do the logical, safer thing and have troops carry antibiotics, especially since units now have sensors for anthrax that can provide early warning of an attack. Besides, doxycycline is also a deterrent against brucella, plague, mycoplasma and some other biological weapons for which we have no effective vaccines.

It would also be better to acknowledge that we remain unprotected against a variety of chemical and biological weapons, and deal with this fact, since it is unlikely to change any time soon.

Bioport/Emergent Biosolutions Buys Another Republican Operative

August 29, 2007

Veteran GOP spokeswoman heads to private sector

by Jonathan Martin

RNC spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt is leaving the comfy confines of First Street S.E. to ply her PR skills in the corporate world. Schmitt, a SoCal native, will serve as director of corporate communications for Emergent BioSolutions, Inc., a Rockville, Md.-based biopharma company that develops vaccines that prevent and treat global and infectious diseases, with a particular focus on biodefense matters.

Though sought by GOP presidential campaigns, Schmitt could not be tempted to return to the frenetic campaign fray for a fifth consecutive cycle. She has been at the RNC since 2005, worked on President Bush's second inaugural, served as a regional spokeswoman for the Bush reelect, did a stint in the White House press shop before that and originally made her bones with the Austin crew way back in 2000.

Though she'll be doing well, she'll also be doing some good in her new gig. She is going to lead the multinational PR effort of a company that produces the only FDA-approved vaccine against anthrax being used to protect U.S. troops in the field.

Schmitt's last day at the RNC is next week and she'll begin life beyond the BlackBerry leash in late September.