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                         January 25, 2002

Vaccine ban for pregnant servicewomen confirmed

WASHINGTON -- Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, William Windenwerder, issued policy guidance Wednesday that reiterates and strengthens a long-standing Department of Defense policy on immunization of pregnant servicewomen.

"DoD stands behind its policy of not immunizing servicewomen of childbearing age during pregnancy," Windenwerder said.

The action was taken because of issues raised about preliminary data from a non-peer reviewed Naval Health Research Center Study of women who received the anthrax vaccination.

"Although these study results are preliminary and there are significant concerns about the database that require further investigation, we are taking these steps to reaffirm our existing policies," said Windenwerder.

The preliminary data, which has not been scientifically peer reviewed and requires further validation, identified a possible relationship between maternal anthrax vaccination in the first trimester and higher odds of birth defects. Because the data supporting the study showed that a number of women might have recieved the anthrax vaccine beyond the first trimester, study data is now being revalidated.

The final report will be available in a few months, after the required peer review.