Anthrax Inoculations to Again be Mandatory for US Military

The Pentagon is set to renew the requirement for all military personnel serving in high risk regions to receive mandatory Anthrax inoculations. The vaccine became controversial in 1998-99, when significant numbers of troops refused it, and in 2004, when 10 troops were discharged for refusing it.



Interesting that the Pentagon would renew this requirement now.

The article points out that having soldiers serving in high risk areas receive the vaccine doesn't jibe with the fact that the only recent use of the spore has been on US soil, in the Anthrax Attacks shortly after 9/11.

Perhaps they have new intelligence to suggest a renewed threat of NBC warfare abroad, or they have some other use for the US military in mind?

Preparing the troops for an attack against them coming from Iran? Why? Because the US military will strike Iran, Iran will counter attack US positions in Iraq and Afghanistan with chemicals weapons... No?

So the attack against Iran will be after mid-term elections? So the republicans are gonna win it?

[edit on 17-10-2006 by Vitchilo]

Perhaps it is preparation for Iran. Or perhaps the intelligence community has found evidence of anthrax being in enemy hands. Or for all we know this is just a political ploy to make it look as if the Republicans actually care for our troops.

All I know is that I hate needles so I think I'd be more scared of the vaccine than the disease itself.

I'm not a big fan of this. It does raise some suspicion that they've made it mandatory. They could easily give the troops anything against their knowledge and will, even if it were to have long term health risks. I've read articles where mandatory drugs for soldiers have led to many diseases for them in the future.

or it could be a really quick way of getting rfid on your troops! Just a thought lol.

It's interesting that this is being done now. One wonders where the threat of Anthrax is, or if it has yet to become a threat.

Does anyone know what the anthrax medication's side effects are, or if there are any? My suspicion is growing, and I'm starting to think that there is another reason for the sudden mandatory decision.

Depending on the source, the side-effects vary from none to significant.

Systemic (Major) Side-Effect Problems with the Vaccine (Requiring Shots be Discontinued)

Documented reactions to the anthrax vaccine from the FDA's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System include nearly 50 different types of major side effects!
Vast DOD under-reporting of major side effect problems is a virtual certainty.
--Former FDA Director David Kessler says only 10% of reactions ever get reported.
--70's Swine flu vaccine analysis showed military reports only 1/7th of that 10% rate.
Army's studies show up to a 1.77% systemic rate (44,500 service members could be affected).
--~9X the manufacturer's claim and ~9000X higher than some current DOD claims!
Documented cases of DOD continuing shots after major reactions--violates vaccine instructions.
Documented cases of DOD administering shots from expired lots with serious health impacts.
link

MYTH: The anthrax vaccine has dangerous side effects including death.
FACT: All vaccines have side effects, including death in rare instances. However, anthrax vaccine has never been determined by medical experts to have been the cause of any death. The anthrax vaccine’s side effects are comparable to other commonly used drugs and vaccines. “Serious” events are those resulting in hospitalization, permanent disability or death. The vast majority of adverse reactions to the vaccine are local reactions. These may include tenderness, soreness and redness at the site of the injection, as well as some fever muscle aches and pains. 4

The government maintains a reporting system to collect information about side effects from every vaccine. The database is called the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and accepts events that occur after the administration of U.S. licensed vaccines.
link

[edit on 17-10-2006 by Icarus Rising]

Any modern battlefield carries the risk of the use of NBC weapons, as such it is better to be prepared then to have mass casualties. The US military has ALWAYS trained soldiers how to fight with NBC gear and equipment in case of such an attack, this would go one step further to ensue that out troops survive such an attack if it's with Anthrax.

And you are all looking at this irrationally, in terms of groundless and pointless speculation. This program did not start today, it was active in the past (1988-2004) before it was challenged in court and halted in 2004 because it could potentially be unsafe as it was not approved. The US military from then on made the vaccine voluntary and only 50% of the troops offered actually took it. However the FDA recently approved the vaccine as safe and effective, now because of this the military feels it can start the program again. While no doubt it will be challenged in court, again, the argument that it's not safe won't be as strong as before.

I think these vaccinations without a direct and acknowledged threat are a bad idea. I was stationed in the gulf in 97-98 and I got to be one of the lucky ones who had a vaccine reaction. Not from Anthrax but regardless...even if its one in 20,000 who have a bad reaction that one guy is hating life. Now if we are sending troops on the ground against an enemy we know has it thats one thing. But to just do it across the board seems wasteful if not indicative of alterior motives in the medicinal business world.

Maybe this needs to be approached from another angle. Maybe there is zero intel pointing to a threat of Anthrax being used against US troops, but a Pharma corp somewhere stands to make a lot of money from supplying the vaccine.

Which corp, where are they based and how much in lobbying and "campaign contributions" have they offered/spent?

That was an easy one, and I mean one and only. BioPort is the sole manufacturer and provider of the Anthrax vaccine.

BioPort Corporation, based in Lansing, Michigan, is the sole producer of the FDA-approved Anthrax Vaccine. BioPort was founded in 1998 for the sole purpose of acquiring the assets of the Michigan Biologic Products Institute from the State of Michigan. For seventy years prior to 1998, the State of Michigan, through various agencies, had manufactured vaccines.
link

The company's website was recently moved and renamed. This may reflect a recent change in ownership, another point in favor of the timing to reinstate mandatory vaccinations being tied to funding for the new pharma-corp, emergentbiosolutions, which filed a registration statement for a proposed IPO, and received DHS endorsement for Biothrax in August. Those IPO shares will really jump in value if mandatory vaccines are reinstated, eh? I wonder who's holding them?

[edit on 18-10-2006 by Icarus Rising]

They are optional for the time being for individuals going to the middle east. That, of course, could change at a moment's notice. I was told this by people going over there this month.

Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, said the vaccinations will begin in 30 to 60 days, and will involve troops and civilian Defense Department personnel and contractors who are serving in the Middle East, Central Asia and the Korean Peninsula.

It is definitely in the works. Perhaps this announcement is a way of testing the waters, so to speak?

The more I look into this, the more I think there may be something fishy going on. The CEO of emergentbiosolutions Fuad El-Hibri, was also in charge of the previous two iterations of the company, Intervac and Bioport. After 9/11, his company's laboratory was placed under protection by President Bush, at the same time El-Hibri was at the top of the list of FBI suspects for sending Anthrax by mail. Now emergentbiosolutions is all set to provide Biothrax to the DHS and the U.S. military. Interesting set of circumstances, wouldn't you say?

Fuad El-Hibri appears to be the real day-to-day director of Intervac and is listed by Dun & Bradstreet as the "chief executive" of Bioport. The reclusive Ibrahim El Hibri, who grants no interviews, has homes in Caracas, Maryland, Paris and Beirut, which he visits all year around, being careful of avoiding tax residence in any of them. Where he got his millions is a mystery.

After the attacks of September 11th. President Bush placed BioPort's North Lansing laboratory under protection, invoking the national interest. Interestingly enough, the Italian magazine Il Manifesto reported, in its October issue, that this happened at the same time that the FBI also placed the El Hibri’s at the top of their list of suspects for sending anthrax spores through the mail system.
link

Originally posted by Icarus Rising Those IPO shares will really jump in value if mandatory vaccines are reinstated, eh? I wonder who's holding them?

Dear IcarusRising:

Fly too high to the “sun” and your wings will burn. So be careful. Here’s a link describing some of the BioPort Corporation background. Unfortunately, the rabble-rouser “reporter” who wrote this article passed away earlier this year. So the info may be somewhat “dated”. Still, it might answer your “Eh? I wonder who’s holding them?” www.skolnicksreport.com...

Greetings,
The Wizard In The Woods

There is definetly something going on that is deceptive about the company. After reading these two articles here and here, I feel sickened that greed is playing a part in the country's defense and the wellfare of US soldiers.

[edit on 18-10-2006 by DJMessiah]

Icarus
I did some more searching with that political friendster link, and uncovered a bit more to the story...

Rumsfeld pulled strings for these guys...
see much more below:
All of Bioports Buddies

and you will just love this part:

from above source: December 1st 2001 the Pakistan News Service announced that documents belonging to a United States company called BioPort Corporation were found in the possession of the al-Qaeda in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Guess they were still working for the CIA at that time, or else we seem to have backed the wrong horse...

also of interest is this:

Admiral Crowe sits on the Board of Directors and owns 13% of BioPort Corp. According to ABC News reporter Howard L. Rosenberg:

and yep, you guessed it...It just wouldn't be dinner without inviting Carlyle (and probably wouldn't have been approved either)

Reports in the US media, denied by BioPort, have suggested that one major investor in the company is the Carlyle Group, one of America's most successful investment companies, well known for generating "extraordinary returns" for its customers through investments in the US defence industry. Because the Carlyle Group remains privately held, it is not required to disclose details of its investments or business activities.

Until i see the source on that one, I am leaving it as "possible, but not proven"
but come on now... we know...

and here is one more... I didn't realize that the Bin Laden family were investors in Carlyle...
.

Bush's former HHS director has moved to the board of the anthrax vacine maker. According to Insight Magazine, the CEO of BioPort, Fuad El-Hibri, is friends with the Bin Laden family. The Carlyle Group has never disclosed whether or not they own a stake in BioPort.4 Both before and after 9/11, the Bin Laden family owned a stake in Carlyle.

Hummm... OBL attacks us, causes us to ramp up for war...
then his family makes millions off the defense industry contracts...

Boy Oh BOY... if I didn't know that OBL was blacklisted from his family, that would be one hell of a conflict of interest..

[edit on 18-10-2006 by LazarusTheLong]

For all I know, OBL could be ensconced in a luxury high-rise in Riyadh, a hero of the realm, NWO Man of the Year.

Given all we've learned, that actually makes a lot more sense than him lugging a portable dialysis machine around the Waristan mountain region somewhere. Maybe that raid on the condos in Riyadh last year was from people following OBL's trail, not followers of OBL, as the media led us to believe.

With the connections to the Bin Ladens, the Carlyle group, and the special protection afforded BioPort by the Bush Administration while its CEO, El-Hibri, was at the top of the FBI list of Anthrax through the mail possibles, I'd say we have a "live one" on our hands here.

It never added up to me that all that came of the investigation into the AA's was one "person of interest" in the form of Steven Hatfill. When he started to fight back, the FBI retracted their interest. Must not have been a very strong interest to begin with. Can you say "Red Herring?" The latest I've heard is they've broadened their investigation in a kind of, "Well, anybody could've done it" approach. That is sure to yield results./sarcasm

Looks like its time for me to apply some good golfing advice my Grampa once gave me that just happens to apply well to most situations in life, "boy, just keep your head down and follow through."

Thanks for all the background and investigative work, Laz, WitW, and DJ. If you find anything else, please post it.

Post Reply just tried to eat my post. Good thing I had it copied. Ha!

[edit on 18-10-2006 by Icarus Rising]