120 sailors received expired Anthrax vaccine

[unhappycamper]

120 sailors received expired Anthrax vaccine
By Allison Batdorff, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Sunday, January 6, 2008

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — Officials confirmed last week that 120 sailors from the USS Cowpens received shots of anthrax vaccine that had expired.

The expired vaccine poses “no medical risk” to the affected sailors, according to the vaccine manufacturer and medical experts consulted by the ship, said Commander Task Force 70 spokeswoman Cmdr. Jensin Sommer.

“There have been no adverse medical issues associated with the administration of these doses,” Sommer wrote in an e-mail to Stripes. “No additional monitoring was required; however, the medical department is standing by to address any questions or concerns crewmembers may have.”

The independent duty corpsman who administered the doses was disciplined and moved off the Yokosuka-based guided-missile cruiser, Sommer said. She would not release the sailor’s name or rank due to privacy concerns.

The incident was considered an “oversight,” and the majority of the ship’s 405 sailors received the anthrax vaccine from the same lot before it expired, she said.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=51432

[liberalnurse]

1. No problem really'

If the medications were contaminated, well that is ous. Expired meds are based on an arbitrary date subject to change. It only a recommended use date.