U.S. Soldier's Death Is Tied To Vaccines

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> U.S. Soldier's Death Is Tied To Vaccines

>

> By David Brown

> Washington Post Staff Writer

> Wednesday, November 19, 2003; Page A19

>

> A 22-year-old female soldier who died last spring after getting multiple

> vaccines, including the one against smallpox, succumbed to an immune

system

> disease apparently triggered by the immunizations.

>

> That is the conclusion of a panel of experts reviewing the military's

> experience with smallpox vaccine, which has been given to about 515,000

> troops in the past year. A second panel believes that vaccination

> " possibly " caused the young woman's death.

>

> The woman received smallpox, typhoid, anthrax, hepatitis B and

> measles-mumps-rubella vaccine on March 2. On April 4, she died of lung

> complications caused by an acute attack of the autoimmune disease lupus.

>

> She had never shown symptoms, but analysis of two blood samples stored in

> the military's 30-million-sample repository showed that she had

> abnormalities associated with lupus as far back as 1998.

>

> The vaccinations apparently triggered a first " flare " of lupus, which an

> Army official, Col. John D. Grabenstein, said has been observed a few

times

> in civilians. Neither panel cited a specific vaccine as the cause.

>

> A panel of scientists from the government's Advisory Committee on

> Immunization Practices and Armed Forces Epidemiology Board said the

> evidence " strongly favors " the theory that vaccination led to the death. A

> committee convened by the Health Resources and Services Administration

> split on the issue, with three members saying it was " possible " and two

> that it was " probable. "

>

> William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of defense for health

> affairs, said there are no plans to change the vaccination program.

>

> A study published last summer reported 18 nonfatal cases of myocarditis,

or

> inflammation of the heart muscle, among troops getting smallpox vaccine.

> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59188-2003Nov18.html

>