Word: anthrax
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
More Graphics Workplace Safety Afghan Targets Anthrax Pathogen A Ground War An Uneasy Ally Targets Hit Search & Destroy Firepower & Food Frozen Assets Safety Guide Middle East Leaders Agents of Death Afghanistan Military Buildup Terrorist Cells Our Weapons Paths of Destruction Twin Terrors...
...mine has arrived, in the form of the anthrax vaccination program that has been decreed mandatory for all service personnel whose near future includes a trip to the wrong corner of the world. Around here, we call it The Shot, and because my New York reserve unit is bound for South Korea in September, it's coming in March to an arm near me. And suddenly, it's soldier time...
...anthrax vaccine itself has been in use for 20 years in various cow-related occupations (remember when anthrax was only a bovine disease and a heavy metal band?) and was FDA-approved at one point, though the inspectors haven't been too crazy about the production line at maker BioPort's big new plant. BioPort itself is now swamped with demand and cash flow problems, thanks to the Pentagon's bulk order, prompting more worries about the quality and safety of future batches...
...there are odds to consider in the other direction. This thing is supposed to work on maybe two of some 30 known strains of anthrax, and even then only semi-reliably on so-called "aerosolized" anthrax, meaning the kind you inhale if Saddam or Kim Jong-Il does his thing. And don't think the bad guys don't have some idea of which strains we're protected against and which would tear our lungs out from the inside. The way I figure it, the odds of a weekend warrior like me getting gassed during my stay...
...POLL: Anthrax Shot...