Bioethics Commission to Decide on Whether to Test the Anthrax Vaccine on Kids by Year End
- Posted on May 18, 2012 at 9:47am by
Liz Klimas
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Anthrax spore vaccine. (Photo: AP/Marco Di Lauro)
WASHINGTON (The Blaze/AP) — The government is prepared with a stockpile of the anthrax vaccine should a widespread bioterror attack ever take place, but there is a segment of the population that experts are unsure how they will react: children.
“We can’t just assume that what we have for adults works for children,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told a bioethics panel Thursday.
Last fall, Sebelius has asked the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues to discuss whether or not the anthrax vaccine — and other vaccines that could prove useful in a bioterror event — should be tested on children. It decided that the vaccine testing should be allowed but with a caveat: only if ethical issues can be agreed upon.
The commission began its deliberations Thursday; recommendations are expected by year’s end.
Sebelius made clear that the question is far broader than anthrax.
“There are serious ethical issues around the development of medical countermeasures for children” in general, she said.
Developing protections for youngsters is critically important, but in a way that puts “our children’s safety as our highest priority,” Sebelius said.
A decade after the anthrax attacks in the United States, the government has a multibillion-dollar stockpile of tools to fight back against some of the threats that worry defense experts. Notably missing is information on how to treat children in various emergencies — whether the same drugs their parents will get will work or be safe for them, and even what dose youngsters should receive.
Thus the debate on whether to conduct studies now, before millions of children might need to try an untested product in an emergency. Even if those studies were offered, there’s no way to know how many parents would agree to enroll their children.
Testing medications in children always requires extra safeguards. It’s fairly straightforward to test a potential treatment for cancer or some other childhood disease. But if a child won’t receive a direct medical benefit, federal regulations say studies are allowed only if testing adults can’t provide the answers and if the risks to participating children are minimal.
Anthrax (Photo: Wikimedia)
Anyone exposed during an anthrax attack would require 60 days of powerful antibiotics, or antibiotics until a vaccine could kick in.
The shots have been widely used in adults, including U.S. troops, and are considered safe for them, said the board chairman, Dr. John Parker, a retired Army major general who has been vaccinated.
Side effects include shot-site soreness and redness, muscle aches, fatigue and headache. Rare but serious allergic reactions have been reported.
The bioethics commission wrestled with how to define “minimal risk” when there is no imminent emergency, and the chairwoman, Dr. Amy Gutmann, wondered whether people urging such testing would enroll their own children.
Parker responded that he’s discussed that with first-responders and some in the military. “There are groups out there that would want their families protected as much as they are protected as they do their job, in fear of bringing something home,” he said.
Other doctors told the panel that 60 days of antibiotics can cause bad side effects for children, including diarrhea, other infections and dangerous allergic reactions. Plus there‘s concern that many people wouldn’t take the full course, Parker said.
The journal Nature reported that not all considered a trial on children as necessary just yet. It reports Nicola Klein, co-director at Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Study Center, saying she doesn’t think the threat of an anthrax attack is enough yet to merit a trial of the vaccine on children.
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Comments (46)
jujubeebee
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 11:15amKathleen Sebelious = Joseph Mengele
Report Post »welovetheUSA
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 11:05amThis is government going wild……..test your own family members first.
Report Post »vtxphantom
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 11:05amThey can give the vaccine to the children of all DC politicians.
Report Post »kickagrandma
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 11:44amWe are certainly on the same page, but I was thinking more on the adult side….
Report Post »Tri-ox
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 11:04amAs long as they only test it on obama’s children and the children of other anti-American liberals, I have no problem with it.
Report Post »Yes a ConsvNY Mother
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 11:03amWhy don’t they start on Sasha and Malia and those who have little ones in Congress FIRST!!
Report Post »minigrams
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 1:33amIt will be a COLD DAY IN HELL before they test any of my grandchildren.
Report Post »objectivetruth
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:59amAnthrax unless weaponized isn’t a true person to person airborn contagion.It would need a carrier bacteria or virus as a first like vector.[Think polymicrobial airborn virus bacteria like community pneumonia or flu mixed in with someone who has anthrax]Even then its highly unlikely that anthrax would be passed it simply ups the possibility.It is spore bound and found in soil.Natural infection is not transmissable from person to person.Actually most naturally acquired infections are cutanous in origin.Occuring on the hands feet and forearms.Usually leaves a tell tale very black scab
Report Post »While I see the reasons for wanting to test it on the target population ahead of time.I also see that they seem to want to test in populations of children who probaly won’t come into contact with it naturally.[See a problem yet?Know I do]Want to test it and do a service for the kids as well.Offer it to farm kids and their families.They will no doubt probaly turn you down.Afterall they are used to summer pox.Thats its nickname where I live.
kickagrandma
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:53amno! NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO!!!!!
I censored my list of suggested test subjects to save THE BLAZE the trouble and you guys the agony of reading through it. But, I bet some of my test subjects are the same as yours…. : ) And they are no children involved!
Report Post »Iamnotanumber
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:49amHere’s an idea…. If you wanna “test” your witches potions on children….start with your own heathen brats before your require the general populace to offer up a generation and possibly multiple generations as a sacrifice for the voo doo that you do call Science. No thanx, not until your children are exposed first!!!
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:49amBioEthics… is just a ReBranding of… Eugenics… and one is as Evil as the other!
Report Post »theotherken
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:45amThey should start with the Obama’s girls, and then with every child of every government employee before they start with any other children.
Report Post »LadyLibertykicksASS
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:40amGot a GREAT Idea…….TEST IT ON YOUR KID FIRST!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »teamarcheson
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:49amWhite kids of course.
Report Post »dmforman
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:34amNot on my kids. Let those that want it tested on kids, use their kids and grandchildren.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:31am003 incident in London where six Algerians were charged with plotting to produce the poison ricin
2005 French government claim that al-Qaeda cells in the Pankisi Gorge region of Georgia are producing anthrax bacteria, ricin, and botulinum toxin.
http://vladtepesblog.com/?p=4932
Report Post »suedstate
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:29amFirst thought that came to mind was Cass Susteeen, eugenics, population control, If I were a young parent I would home school and only allow vacines to be given by a trusted family doctor and even then question it.
Report Post »All these vaccines that children are now required by Gov. would scare the h**l out of me, and parents just go along blindly like sheep. FIND OUT WHAT THE H**L THEY ARE PUTTING IN YOUR CHILD’S BODY.
thekuligs
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:28amUGH, I do not want this anywhere NEAR my children–but at the same time we live on a military base. I wonder who they will try to pawn this on… oh no wait, I don’t.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:25amThe War on Terrorism is over – OBama
“Last year, Dr. Jeffrey Runge, chief medical officer at the US Department of Homeland Security, told Congress that the risk of a large-scale biological attack on the nation is significant and the US knows its terrorist enemies have sought biological weapons. Runge said al-Qaeda is the most significant threat.
Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has long shown an active interest in biological weapons. In the late 1990s, bin Laden set-up 19 chemical and biological weapons laboratories in Afghanistan stocking them with deadly pathogens: anthrax, plague, and botulinum toxins. He hired Ukrainian and Russian experts to train his people and, according to then-CIA director George Tenet, bin Laden trained his operatives “…to conduct attacks with toxic chemicals or biological toxins.””
http://vladtepesblog.com/?p=4932
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:22amThe War on Terror is over. We have nothing to fear. That was basically Obama’s message.
So why are we testing vaccines? Oh wait, Obama is a known liar.
Black Death ‘kills al-Qaeda operatives in Algeria’
The Black Death has reportedly killed at least 40 al-Qaeda operatives in North Africa
19 Jan 2009
Report Post »http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/algeria/4287469/Black-Death-kills-al-Qaeda-operatives-in-Algeria.html
Vickie Dhaene
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:22amHow are these children going contract the anthrax? Say they are not going to be intentionally exposed. I hope I am just stupid for asking.
Report Post »HumbleMan
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:41amNot stupid … in my opinion. That was my first question. It’s one thing to see if they die from receiving the vaccine, and another to see if the vaccine is effective.
This is insanity.
Note also: “our children’s safety as our highest priority,” seems a little hollow from the administration that routinely funds the murder of children in the womb and even on occasion outside the womb.
Report Post »jujubeebee
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 11:14amVicki: your thoughts were my thoughts exactly….. it reminds me of Joseph Mengele…the Nazi doctor who did experiments on Jewish twins.
Report Post »solomon
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:20amI would never let Sebelius test anything on my children.
Report Post »JimL
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:18amIf weaponizing anthraze is a 1st world endeavour it’s use would an act of …
Report Post »KangarooJack
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:17amNothing to see here folks…move along. Return to your homes and go back to sleep.
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:15amthey should first test it on the scientists kids, and politicians kids ( preferably at the same time )
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:28amExactly
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 9:59amStart with the Kids of Movie Stars… then Government Officals…
Report Post »RightUnite
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:10amAmen!! My first thought! What utter nonsense!!
Report Post »moussiagilda
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 9:57amWho needs anthrax? Screw anthrax.
Report Post »Mandors
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 9:53amWe could test the vaccine on animals… oh, wait that would cruel. So, better to use helpless children.
Report Post »