The US anthrax vaccination database currently does not answer the question of whether there is an obvious risk of pathological conditions associated with vaccination. However, the researchers warned participants in the conference of the American Academy on Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, held in early March, that much more information would be needed than is currently available to talk about the existence of a particular syndrome, associated with the use of a vaccine.

According to Dr. Bryan L. Martin of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, an ongoing process is gathering information about the adverse events (ARs) from the anthrax vaccine.

The question of the advisability of the widespread use of the anthrax vaccine in the armed forces remains a controversial subject. Some experts believe that vaccination can pose a health risk to the vaccinated. In January 2002, the Department of Defense recommended that pregnant women serving in the armed forces not be vaccinated, as unverified data indicate that it may lead to an increased risk of birth defects in the fetus.

A group of scientists analyzed information on ARs resulting from the use of vaccines. This information was obtained from the national adverse event database. This database is maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Since 1998, more than 520,000 American soldiers have received more than 2 million doses of anthrax vaccine. Researchers identified 82 cases of serious adverse events that resulted in hospitalization or prolonged disability that may have been caused by the use of the anthrax vaccine.

Headache, rash, tinnitus and fatigue have been recorded as AE.

Researchers believe that only a large sample will be able to identify a pattern that will be associated with the anthrax vaccination syndrome. At this point, it is impossible to confirm or deny the link between symptoms and vaccination. Injection site reactions or flu-like symptoms that last for several days are quite common, but they also occur with at least other vaccines.

According to the researchers, a much larger sample (perhaps 10 million doses) will be needed to draw definitive conclusions about the nature and frequency of the occurrence of AEs when using the anthrax vaccine.