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

"Ilena" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A59188-2003Nov18?language=printer
>
>
> 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.
>

So, what's your point in posting this, Ilena? Even if this young lady's
death was caused by her vaccinations, which is far from proven, it proves
little, if anything. No one has ever promised any vaccination to be
risk-free. If there is anything remarkable here, it is that the military has
administered millions of vaccinations, and the subsequent mortality is low
enough that a single death is worthy of media attention.

--Rich