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Anthrax > Prevention Author: Sandro Cinti, MD; Barbara Robinson-Dunn, PhD; Niklas Mackler, MD
Editorial changes - 2007-10-03
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Prevention
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Rationale:

  • Preexposure vaccination protects against cutaneous and inhalational anthrax.
  • Anthrax vaccine is safe, but side effects include local reactions, fever, chills, and body aches.

Evidence:

  • Animal and human studies support the efficacy of anthrax vaccine for prevention of inhalational and cutaneous anthrax (1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6).
  • The basis for the six initial vaccine doses followed by yearly boosters is not well defined (7).
  • Mild cutaneous reactions occur in 20% of patients vaccinated, whereas severe local reactions and systemic reactions occur in <=1% (1; 8; 9).
  • Although no adverse birth outcomes occurred in a recent study, the evidence for use of anthrax vaccine in pregnancy is not conclusive (8; 10).
  • Contraindications to anthrax vaccine include history of anthrax infection or anaphylaxis to a previous dose of anthrax vaccine (8).
  • There was no evidence for an unusual rate of any severe adverse event or other medically important adverse events in more than 500,000 military personnel vaccinated against anthrax (11).
  • A study of U.S. Army personnel who received >=1 dose of AVA between March 1998 and February 2002 showed that this group had no greater risk of disability than those who had not received AVA (12).

Comments:

  • AVA (Bioport) is the only licensed human vaccine in the U.S.

FAQs
Barbara Robinson-Dunn, PhD has no financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies, biomedical device manufacturers, or health-care related organizations. Demetrios N. Kyriacou, MD, PhD, editorial consultant, has no financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies, biomedical device manufacturers, or health-care related organizations. Niklas Mackler, MD has no financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies, biomedical device manufacturers, or health-care related organizations. Sandro Cinti, MD has no financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies, biomedical device manufacturers, or health-care related organizations.


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