WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 1999

In support of military's immunization

I read the article "Anthrax vaccine creates disaster" article and was totally disgusted at the lack of information the writer had about this vaccine.

I am a Lance Corporal in the U. S. Marine Corps and a computer science major here.

I have been given the vaccine 3 times already, as a requirement for all deployable Marines, and it is a safe vaccine. This vaccine has been in use since the 1960s.

The livestock industry uses this vaccine because anthrax spores exist in the industry. So all the workers get this vaccine annually.

Furthermore, you have to analyze the other alternative, not to give this vaccine.

The consequences of that are dire. Anthrax is easy to make and easy to disseminate.

A Marine unit without the vaccine would be wiped out in the matter of a week, while still infecting more and more ­ not a good scenario.

Uncle Sam, would not give its troops a vaccination that could potentially wipe our own armed forces out. That would be ridiculous.

This article was a joke, please discriminate your sources better next time.

You have hard working Marines, sailors, airmen and soldiers.

Maybe you should write a positive story about them for a change.

­ Lance Cpl. Puller,

computer science major

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