AGuyThatFlys
Prepare to be boarded!
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2004
- Posts
- 84
Soliciting opinions regarding the anthrax vaccine from any current military. Good, bad, perceived effect on career? Especially looking for opinions from ANG, pilots for the reserves, with civilian airline careers.
A little history: I left the active duty Navy in 1995 (a ship driver) just when DOD was starting up mandatory anthrax vaccines. Didn't pay much attention to the controversy surrounding it since I was leaving the military.
Fast forward 10 years. Now I'm Navy reserve, mobilized and in the Sandbox. Before leaving I just landed a job at Skywest as an FO. Our corpsmen gave a mandatory brief on the anthrax vaccination program which, to me, went like this:
1. Weaponized anthrax will kill you if you're not immunized. Flash Powerpoint slides of chances of dying without the shots; include a couple of autopsy photos of anthrax victims. I was waiting for someone to jump out and go "BOO"!
2. But, due to a court order, DOD can't make you take the shot. It's totally voluntary, you won't be punished or court-martialed for refusal--however, for your own good, and the good of your unit, see #1.
Remembering the story of the AF flight surgeon who resigned rather than take the shot, I went on the web and did a little research. Everything I found on Google that was pro-anthrax vaccine was linked to an Office of the SECDEF or DOD website. The rest were veterinarian sites, news links or anti-anthrax vaccine sites. The ones that really bothered me described pilots and flight crew grounded for months due to apparent side-effects of the vaccine, and the 114 adverse reactions at Dover AFB in the late '90s.
Considering all the hard work, time and money going from zero hours to professional pilot, I don't want to risk losing my medical, no matter how slight the risk. But, I also feel my days in the reserves are numbered if I refuse the shot, voluntary or not. I also hear that the DOD is appealing the ruling, and wants to make the anthrax vaccine mandatory again.
Thanks for your input.
A little history: I left the active duty Navy in 1995 (a ship driver) just when DOD was starting up mandatory anthrax vaccines. Didn't pay much attention to the controversy surrounding it since I was leaving the military.
Fast forward 10 years. Now I'm Navy reserve, mobilized and in the Sandbox. Before leaving I just landed a job at Skywest as an FO. Our corpsmen gave a mandatory brief on the anthrax vaccination program which, to me, went like this:
1. Weaponized anthrax will kill you if you're not immunized. Flash Powerpoint slides of chances of dying without the shots; include a couple of autopsy photos of anthrax victims. I was waiting for someone to jump out and go "BOO"!
2. But, due to a court order, DOD can't make you take the shot. It's totally voluntary, you won't be punished or court-martialed for refusal--however, for your own good, and the good of your unit, see #1.
Remembering the story of the AF flight surgeon who resigned rather than take the shot, I went on the web and did a little research. Everything I found on Google that was pro-anthrax vaccine was linked to an Office of the SECDEF or DOD website. The rest were veterinarian sites, news links or anti-anthrax vaccine sites. The ones that really bothered me described pilots and flight crew grounded for months due to apparent side-effects of the vaccine, and the 114 adverse reactions at Dover AFB in the late '90s.
Considering all the hard work, time and money going from zero hours to professional pilot, I don't want to risk losing my medical, no matter how slight the risk. But, I also feel my days in the reserves are numbered if I refuse the shot, voluntary or not. I also hear that the DOD is appealing the ruling, and wants to make the anthrax vaccine mandatory again.
Thanks for your input.