European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 22, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday March 22 2007 stars and s tripes Page 3 anthrax shots Back at Pacific bases by Allison Batdorff stars and stripes Yokosuka naval base Japan As of monday All four us military branches in the Pacific had resumed mandatory anthrax vaccinations for selected service members deploying to High threat areas in the Middle East and the korean Peninsula the vaccination mandate affects thousands of servicemen Bers across the Pacific after two years of the shots being Volun tary Many sailors at Yokosuka naval base haunt heard about the navys recently announced anthrax vaccination immunization program or avid which re quires vaccination for 6640 sail ors in the Forward deployed naval forces we Haven been told anything yet uss Kitty Hawk Petty officer 3rd class Cedric Myles said Crews aboard the aircraft Carrier and its air Wing As Well As ser Vic members aboard the amphibious assault ship uss Essex guid a missile Cruiser uss Shiloh and guide missile destroyer uss Curtis Wilbur Are slated for mandatory anthrax vaccination specifics on How and when the vaccinations will Start Are still being determined us 7th Fleet spokesman it Steve Curry said in an email once that done every Sailor who is part of the mandatory vaccination program will receive comprehensive information on the vaccine Curry said the Iii Marine expeditionary Force on Okinawa also is working on an implementation plan Iii me spokesman 1st it Garron Garn said mandatory shots the Marine corps instruction released monday Calls for Manda tory shots for an unspecified num Ber of marines deploying to Cen trial command and those assigned or designated As Early deploy ers troops who would arrive within 20 Days of the Start of the flow of forces during a conflict to the korean Peninsula historically 18000 marines Are stationed in Okinawa though 4000 to 6000 Are deployed at any Given time Garn said airmen at Kadena air base in Okinawa soon will Start receiving the mandatory vaccine and the medical clinic expects to immunize 1000 airmen a year Accord ing to 18th Wing Public affairs Misawa air base and air Force bases in South Korea have started giving shots As the air Force and army issued their policies last month officials at Yokota air base Camp Zama and Camp Fuji did not respond to queries about their vaccination plans the vaccine is also mandatory correction a March 17 associated press photo caption should have identified us sen John Warner of Virginia As a Republican stars and stripes Courtesy of the us Navy left a bottle of anthrax vaccine at the Yokota air base Hospital right Hospital corpsman Antoinette Johnson draws a shot of the vaccine to be administered to a Crew member aboard uss George Washington in 2004 for defense department civilian employees deemed emergency essential or Mission essential government contractors but vaccination has to be spelled out in their contracts the vaccine called anthrax vaccine absorbed is Given As a six shot series Over an 18month period each command will administer and track the shots through an avid registry agree ment us naval Hospital Yokosuka Hast ordered the vaccine yet be cause it was waiting for the Navy directive Hospital preventive health director it Lori Chris Tensen said but we Are ready with the Needles Christensen said the Hospital will be responsible for the voluntary part of the directive which applies to Dod civilians family and no specified Active duty personnel who started the series previously and want to finish it Christensen said she is not expecting a big Rush weve Only had one person in the last two and a half years re quest the shot Christensen said it Doest happen very frequently but Well have it on hand for those who want it vaccinations began in 1998 military anthrax vaccinations began in 1998 but the program was halted in 2004 after a Federal judge ruled that the food and drug administration made mis takes in determining the vaccine was Safe the judge allowed voluntary vaccinations to resume in 2005 but Only 50 percent of service members in High threat areas volunteered for the vaccine Accord ing to the Dod that put service members at risk jeopardized unit effective Ness and degraded medical Readi Ness according to a statement from the office of the Secretary of defense the department of defense resumed the mandatory vaccinations last year for us troops and specified civilians serving in of Msj com and on the korean Penin Sula but anti vaccination groups say the vaccine has caused birth defects Gulf War illness and flu like Side effects in service members two attorneys filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of mandatory anthrax vaccinations although Seaman Rachel Luis ship the Yokosuka based uss Mustin is not on the mandatory list she has heard things about the Side effects of the vaccine that would cause her to think twice be fore taking the shots she said i dont know if were going to get it or not but i would do my Best not to take it Lux said we take too Many shots already while the Kitty Hawks Myles  choose to take the vac Cine he has a Job to do he said stars and stripes reporters David Allen and Jeff Schogol contributed to this Story email Allison Batdorff at refusing shot Means disobeying order by Allison Batdorff and David Allen stars and stripes since the military instituted the anthrax vaccination program in 1998 several service members have refused to take the vaccine then and now with the re sumption of the policy mandating the shots a refusal officially be comes a commanders decision regarding failure to obey a lawful order according to the anthrax vaccine immunization program in Early 2001 on Okinawa three service members were convicted of refusing direct orders to begin the series of six anthrax vaccinations mandated by the depart ment of defense heres a Brief rundown of their cases Petty officer 3rd class David Ponder 21 a Navy Seabee was busted two pay grades to e2 and sentenced to 60 Days confinement Ponder refused the shots when his Gulfport miss unit was preparing for a six month deployment to Okinawa and South Korea Marine pfc Vitalino Arroyo 20 was busted to private sentenced to 105 Days confinement and fined for refusing a direct order to take the anthrax vac Cine Arroyo attached to the 3rd battalion 2nd marines on Camp Lejeune no was on a six month deployment when he refused to take the shots with his company on Camp Schwab Okinawa Arroyo testified that he was afraid of possible Adverse reactions to the vaccine Marine Lance Cpl Jason r Stonewall 27 also with 3rd Battal Ion 2nd marines was busted to private sentenced to 90 Days confinement and forfeited pay Arroyo and Stonewall were among eight marines who re fused the vaccinations at Camp Schwab during testimony in stonewalls Case a Marine officer said Arroyo and Stonewall re Quested court martial the other marines took nonjudicial punish ment for their refusals during their separate trials in january 2001 the two marines and the Seabee said they had decided the anthrax vaccination was unsafe after researching it on the internet they said they had Learned that the sole provider of the vaccine had been cited by the Federal food and drug administration for multiple health violations ironically the service members were not required to take the vac Cine after their trials the pro Gram had been suspended be cause of a shortage of the vaccine those in the military who be Lieve they were wrongly punished after a judge halted the mandate in 2004 can seek a correction of their military records according to the office of the Secretary of defense email Allison Batdorff at email David Allen at Zama Parent group looks to fill positions Camp Zama Middle schools Parent teacher organization needs to fill four Board vacancies and two school advisory commit tee slots for 200709 the to is a committee of parents and teachers who organize events to promote Quality Educa Tion encourage Community involvement and work for a healthy environment for All stakeholders the Board serves As a forum for discussion Between parents teachers and the Community and helps organize financial and Volunteer assistance the school advisory commit tee is a Council of parents teach ers and students who Field con Cerns from the Zama and Katsugi communities and make recommendations to the administration the deadline for nominations is March 29 for More details Call Denise Leach principal or Deb Bie Alcazar school Counselor at Dan 2634040 motorcycle season slated to open Friday Misawa air base Japan the motorcycle Riding season is tentatively set to open Friday weather permitting All motorcycle riders must at tend a motorcycle safety briefing March 31 at a location to be announced Call the safety office at Dan 2262072 for More information the 35th fighter Wing safety of fice will Alert riders via the com Manders Access Channel and radio if weather conditions push Back the opening Day joint chiefs chairman Pace visits Tokyo Marine Gen Peter Pace chair Man of the joint chiefs of staff was expected to meet wednesday with several High ranking us and japanese officials during a Brief Stop in Tokyo according to Marine maj Neil Murphy a us forces Japan spokesman paces itinerary was to include meetings with j Thomas Schief Fer the us ambassador to Japan representatives from the Japa Nese foreign affairs and defense ministries and joint staff office personnel he also was scheduled to attend Usaj briefings Pace also planned to make a Courtesy Call to Japan defense minister Fumio Kyuma Accord ing to the ministry web site Michael Boyle a us embassy spokesman in Tokyo said Pace was expected to sit Down with Jap anese Media for a 30minute round table discussion student to attend citizenship program Camp Foster Okinawa Emma Elaine Roberts a 16year old Junior at Kubasak High school has been picked to attend the Texas Bluebonnet girls state summer program this june at Texas lutheran University in Seguin Texas the daughter of Marine it col Mark and Shizue Roberts Emma Roberts is the first student from an Okinawa department of de sense dependents school to at tend the american legions on sorted program in the United states from staff reports