U.K. Gulf War Vaccine Still a Problem

[Guest guest]

> Sat, 14 Aug 2004 23:45:32 -0400

> U.K. Gulf War Vaccine

> Still a Problem

>

Gulf war vaccine still a problem, leading scientist

tells inquiry

>

By Michael Smith, Defence Correspondent

> (Filed: 11/08/2004)

>

>

> An MoD survey of 20,000 troops who

> served in Iraq last year has shown continuing

> problems with the anthrax vaccinations they were

> given, the scientist leading the study said

> yesterday.

>

>

>

> Prof Simon Wessely said a series of

> studies by his team at King's College, London,

> pointed to the vaccinations given to those who

> served in the 1991 Gulf War as a major factor in the

> illnesses they subsequently suffered. " The more

> vaccines you received, the more likely you were to

> suffer ill-health, " he told the public inquiry in

> Gulf war illnesses.

>

> " Those who had the most vaccinations

> were nearly twice as likely to get ill. We still

> haven't got that right. We're still getting problems

> with anthrax vaccinations now. "

>

> The MoD admitted in October that tests

> shortly before the 1991 Gulf war in which mice were

> given the same combination of vaccinations given to

> troops produced serious side-effects. The troops

> were given whooping cough vaccine to speed up the

> effects of the anthrax vaccine. When the two were

> given to the mice " there was evidence of severe loss

> of condition and weight " .

>

> The MoD said whooping cough vaccine was

> " not recommended for use in adults and it was not

> licensed for use as an adjuvant [accelerant] to the

> anthrax vaccine " .

>

> Prof Wessely said troops given the

> combination of whooping cough vaccine and anthrax

> vaccine were 40 per cent more likely to suffer the

> symptoms attributed to the so-called Gulf War

> Syndrome.

>

> He said the term Gulf War Syndrome was

> incorrect since there was no unique syndrome

> attributable to the Gulf War. " But that is all a bit

> of a red herring, " he said. " What matters is that

> there is a clear Gulf War effect. "

>

> That has been attributed to a variety of

> causes including radioactive dust from depleted

> uranium munitions, Iraqi chemical weapons,

> organophosphate pesticides used to spray tents, and

> pollution from oil well fires. But the studies

> carried out by Prof Wessely's team showed that none

> of these was to blame.

>

> The causes of the various illnesses

> suffered by Gulf war veterans were " a complicated

> mixture " of the effect of the vaccinations, stress

> of the threat of chemical or biological weapons, and

> " societal pressure " .

>

> Prof Wessely, asked by Lord Lloyd of

> Berwick what he meant by " societal pressure " ,

> pointed to the way in which troops were discharged

> as part of defence cuts almost as soon as they

> returned home and the MoD's initial reluctance to

> accept that there was a problem with their health.

>

> " There were clearly things said about

> Gulf War Syndrome that were ill-advised, " he said.

>

> Use of the anthrax vaccine during the

> 2003 Iraq conflict has been blamed for a cluster of

> pregnancy problems suffered by troops who served

> with 33 Field Hospital or their partners. Recent

> pregnancies involving members of the unit have ended

> in two miscarriages, three premature births, one

> stillbirth and a forced termination. In each case,

> at least one parent had received the anthrax

> vaccination.

>

> The MoD, which has told those concerned

> they must not discuss the issue with the press, has

> dismissed any suggestion that the problems have

> anything to do with the anthrax vaccination. It said

> Prof Wessely was not concerned about the safety of

> the anthrax vaccination in use with British forces.

>

>22 July 2004: Troops backed on Gulf syndrome

11 October 2003: 1991 Gulf soldiers given risky jabs

 

>

 

> © Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2004. Terms &

> Conditions of reading.