Anthrax Vaccine

Correspondence

To be honest, I havent had much correspondence regarding Anthrax vaccine, but what I have is presented here.

As far as I was aware the manufacturers of this vaccine were the "Centre for Applied Microbiology & Research (CAMR)" their address is:

CAMR

Porton Down

Salisbury

Wilts

SP4 0JG

UK

Tel: 0980 612100

Fax: 0980 611096

I have had no contact with CAMR, since the last letter detailed here, therefore I would not know if any of the people named below are still there or not!

Dated: 3 September 1994

Dear Dr Turnbull,

further to our telephone discussion earlier this week I am writing to take up your very kind offer of help.

First of all please allow me to quote the batch numbers of the anthrax vaccine that I was given:

1. 01/90 given on 6 January 1991

2. 337/E given on 28 January 1991

Now to my questions:

1. Do you or your colleagues recognise either of these batch numbers?

2. If not would it be possible for you to let me know who made the vaccine and their address?

3. Do you have a product data sheet that you could let me have a copy of please?

4. When I had my first vaccine on 6 Jan 91, it was given with whooping cough, is this a standard practice?

5. At the same time as item 5 above, I had a yellow fever vaccination, would you say that I should have received these three vaccinations all at the same time (even though I felt no side effects)?

6. When I had my second anthrax on the 28 Jan 91, I again had whooping cough. In addition I was also given a plague vaccine and was taking pyridostigmine bromide orally, this cocktail of drugs that were injected within seconds of each other really knocked me for a six. Initially I felt a searing pain spreading right across my shoulder blades, this lasted for about two hours then the pain subsided and was replaced by a sensation of floating, this lasted for about another fifteen hours before I started to feel normal again.

In your informed opinion, do you think that this cocktail should have been given at the same time or should it have been staggered?

7. I understand that the anthrax was given to help protect me from any biological warfare agents that may have been encountered in the Gulf, but would it have made me more susceptible to any nerve agents that may have been present, by nerve agents I am referring to items of an organophosphorus nature?

I would like to thank you and your colleagues in advance for any help you may be able to offer and I am sorry that I have asked so many questions but this is the first real chance that I have had to ask them.

The reply arrived, dated 4 October 1994, signed by Mr J M Harker, Director of Administration, the text reads as follows:

I am writing in reply to your letter to Dr Turnbull of 3 September 1994 and am sorry that it has taken a while to reply. I am afraid that CAMR is not in a position to answer the various questions posed in your letter. Any queries you may have concerning vaccines or other substances administered during the Gulf crisis should be addressed through the appropriate departmental channels; in your own case, presumably the MoD.

I am sorry I cannot be of more assistance, but hope the above comments help.

I wrote back to Mr Harker, the text is as follows:

Dated: (not recorded)

Dear Mr Harker,

thankyou for your letter dated 4 October 1994. I must admit that I was a little surprised to see that you are not in a position to answer my questions as I understand that CAMR are involved in producing anthrax vaccines.

Would it be possible to reconsider your decision with respect to one of my questions:

Q : Does CAMR recognise the following batch numbers for anthrax vaccines, 01/90 or 337/E, if not do you know who manufactured them ?

If it is not possible to answer the above question, would you be so kind as to let me know why.

Thankyou for your time and trouble in addressing this matter for me.

I never received a reply to this letter.