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Thursday, March 7, 2002
Experts endorse anthrax vaccine
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WASHINGTON (AP) —A panel of sci-
said he ah en,lsts on Wednesday endorsed the safety
d to be a conic M* effecti veness of the anthrax vaccine,
also recommended research into
hlproving it.
'■Last year's anthrax-by-mail attacks
®used additional attention on the vaccine,
■eady criticized by some military mem-
flrs who resigned rather than take it
be<. ause of concerns about side effects.
I The study by the National Academy of
■ience’s Institute of Medicine concluded
thai the vaccine protects against all forms of
hrax and has no more serious side effects
n other vaccines given to adults.
“The anthrax vaccine should protect
lainst even the inhalational form of the
lection, but the lengthy vaccination sched-
K and the way the shots are physically
■ministered make it far from optimal,” said
Hian L. Strom, chairperson of the committee
thui reviewed the vaccine.
■ The committee urged the Defense
Rpartment to support research into a better
vaccine.
I The vaccine was approved by the Food
■d Drug Administration in 1970. The man-
■acturer, BioPort Corp., took over the
■oduct in 1998, but not until February did
it in FDA approval for full production.
■ After the anthrax attacks, many postal
workers and Senate employees were given
protective antibiotics in case they had
■en exposed to anthrax. When those
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workers finished the first 60 days of
antibiotics, medical experts suggested
they continue those drugs, add vaccina
tions or end treatment. Most opted to
avoid the vaccine.
Asked if he would have recommended
they take the vaccine, Strom said the answer
would be yes, if he had known then what he
does now.
u
The anthrax vaccine should
protect against even the inhala
tionalform of the infection
5.*
— Brian L. Strom
Chairperson
Anthrax Vaccine Committee
Bob Kramer, president of BioPort, said
he is pleased that “once again the safety and
efficacy of the vaccine has been confirmed.”
The report was also welcomed by the
Pentagon.
“This peer-reviewed report ... offers con
firmation that the department uses a protec
tive measure that works for those at risk of
exposure to the lethal agent anthrax,” said
Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant sec
retary of defense for health affairs.
But Steve Robinson of the National Gulf
War Resource Center, said he will press the
Defense Department to establish a mandatory
compensation program for anyone who has a
serious reaction to the vaccine.
The report said the rate of reactions was
similar to that of other vaccines, such as
tetanus, that were given to adults. These
included skin redness, occasional malaise
and muscle pain but no serious health
impairments, the report said.
There were also reports of itching or
swelling at the injection site — possibly
because the vaccine is injected under the
skin rather than into muscle, as is the case
for most vaccines, the study said.
There is only limited information about
possible long-term effects, the report
noted, but there are no indications of
increased risks.
But the vaccine is manufactured using
older technology and requires six shots plus
an annual booster, something the committee
felt should be improved.
“The most prudent course of action is to
develop a new vaccine — given the nation's
war against terrorism and the domestic
attacks where anthrax was used as a deadly
weapon,” said Strom, director of the Center
for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
at the University of Pennsylvania.
The current vaccine has been used to pro
tect veterinarians and others who work with
animals.
Restrictions on genetically engineered fish
■ SACRAMENTO (AP) —
California may impose the
naiion’s toughest restrictions on
genetically engineered salmon,
even before the federal govern
ment decides if it should be the
firsi transgenic animal approved
for human consumption.
■ Measures restricting the sale
or production of the fish are
pending in both state Legislative
Chambers, though the' nearest
/mon farming is in
'ashington’s Puget Sound
ause conditions in California
I; not suitable.
I Fishermen and environmen-
I groups say genetically engi-
lered salmon that escape from
th;ir enclosures could harm the
ttest Coast’s already dwindling
n;tive populations.
I They cite studies by Purdue
Uiiversity and others showing
that so-called “superfish” —
■ered to grow larger and
fajster — could have a competi
tive advantage for food, mates
and habitat.
But Joseph McGonigle, vice
president of Waltham, Mass.-
based Aqua Bounty Farms Inc.,
said that is not possible since
only sterile females would be
used. Unlike sterile males,
escapees would not attempt to
go to river breeding grounds and
spawn so there would be no
behavioral competition.
McGonigle’s company, which
has transplanted a gene that makes
salmon grow to full size in half the
usual time, has been trying to get
Food and Drug Administration
approval for its fish since 1996. He
said the FDA should be ready to
decide by 2004.
A bill pending in the
California Senate would be the
nation’s toughest, banning the
import, transport, possession or
release of transgenic fish in the
state, with violators fined up to
$50,000.
Hatching controversy
The federal government is expected
to decide by 2004 whether genetically
modified fish are suitable for human
consumption. But opponents say
“superfish” farms pose a more present
threat — to the environment.
The appeal
By introducing a
growth gene into
Atlantic salmon
eggs, farmers can
breed larger salmon
that reach market
weight 6 to 12
months sooner than
normal salmon.
SOURCES: Food and
Drug Administration;
Associated Press
The concern
Environmentalists
say transgenic
salmon that escape
from areas where
they're bred could
threaten wild salmon
populations because
they would have a
competitive
advantage in feeding
and mating.
Searching for
solutions
► A Massachusetts-
based hatchery says
it only breeds sterile
females that would
not pose a
competitive threat if
any escaped
because they would
not attempt to spawn.
► A Maryland law
passed last year
requires that
transgenic fish farms
be in a pond or lake
that that doesn’t flow
into an open body of
water.
AP
yi
idult stem cells show
Ipromise in tissue research
fetem
AP — Researchers have found evidence that
cells circulating in the bloodstream can
ow new tissue in the liver, gut and skin.
The study is the latest to suggest the versa-
of adult stem cells, the body’s manufac-
tlity
NEWS IN BRIEF
turing equipment for new tissue. In adults —
unlike in embryos — they have long been
thought to be programmed to make just one
kind of cell, such as liver or brain, depending
on where they are located.
Stem cells found in the bone marrow were
once believed to make only new blood cells.
But recent studies have upset this dogma,
finding that they apparently develop into a
variety of cells throughout the body.
Stem cells in the blood are virtually identical
to the bone marrow variety. The latest work,
published in Thursday’s New England Journal
of Medicine, suggests they can morph into
many different kinds of tissue.
The finding boosts scientists’ hopes of one
day using stem cells to repair injuries and
treat diseases.
A l 'Mentors
Texas A&M faculty, staff and administrators helping students.
ollege of Engineering
tcademic Programs Office
Its. MaryAnn Rautz
wean’s Office
f . D; Glen Williams
\erospace Engineering
MivfU! Di Leland Ca Ison
| {s Sandy Ray
nent Biomedical Engineering
. , Mr. Fidel Fernandez
ith wa»
j c tal I’m/ Engineering
br. Roy Mann
ins . ij Dt Ray James
tcI mini l 1 Lit. Mike Linger
ties [Tr. Thomas Mather
vage, ga^ f Roger Smith
'Computer Science
|Dr. Walter Daugherity
r. John Leggett
r. Mac Lively
W lee trie a! Engin eering
|>r, Michael Grimaila
r. Robert Nevels
r. Erchin Serpedin
ngineering Technology
nd Industrial Distribution
Is. Kaye Matejka
Wl
d picnic
Ms. Heather McNeil
Mr. Larry Muehe
Ergonomics Center
Ms. Shelly Watson
Industrial Engineering
Dr. Wilbert Wilhelm
Mechanical Engineering
Dr. Richard Griffin
Ms. Cathy Sperry
Dr. Steve Suh
Dr. John Vance
Nuclear Engineering
Dr. John Ford
Dr. Yassin Hassan
Dr. John Poston
Petroleum Engineering
Ms. Betty Popp
Texas Engineering Extension
Service
Mr.Gene Charleton
Mr. Mark Evans
Mr. Jose Grimaldo
College of Veterinary
Medicine
Biomedical Sciences Program
Mr. Jason Poole
Mr. Brady Dennis
Dean's Office
Ms. Sue Moody
Large Animal
Medicine
Dr. Robert Field
Dr. Allen Roussel
Medical Science Library
Ms. Debbie Sunday
Small Animal
Medicine
Dr. Theresa Possum
Dr. Lisa Howe
Dr. Matthew Miller.
Dr. Michael Willard
Vet. Anatomy and
Public Health
Dr. A.B. Childers
Ms. Nonna Funkhouser
Dr. Anton Hoffman
Dr. Lynn Ruoff
Dr. Loren Skew
Dr. Jane Welsh
# Veterinary Pathobiology
Dr. James Derr
Ms. Mary Jewell
Physiology’ and Pharmacology
Dr. Deborah Kochevar
College of Geosciences
Dean’s Office
Ms. Cathy Littleton
Mr. Rodney Paris
Dr. Mary Richardson
Geography
Dr. Robert Bednarz
Geology and Geophysics
Dr. Richard Carlson
Dr. Andrew Hajash
Dr. Christopher Mathewson
Dr. David Sparks
Dr. Hongbin Zhan
Oceanography
Dr. William Bryant
Dr. Benjamin Giese
Dr. William Sager
Dr. Nial! Slowey
The ATM.entors Program
consists of approximately
370 Texas A&M faculty,
staff, and administrators
who volunteer extra office
hours to make themselves
available to students.
Mentors names will be
appearing in the Battalion
throughout the week.
or more information on these and other Mentors check out the ATMentors website at: http://inentors.tamu.edu
Sat., March 16 th
The Cowboy Western Club
(S. Hwy 14, Mexia)
presents
Deryl Dodd
and
Painted Desert
s 8.00 - Advance *10.00-Door
Doors open @ 7 PM
ADVANCE TICKETS AVAILABLE AT
CAVENDER’S
in College Station
979-696-8800
Acupuncture and Herbs
by Physicians
Help for:
• Pain management
• Sports and Work injuries
• Headaches and PMS
• Arthritis, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue
• Anxiety and Depression
• Concentration and Memory improvement
• Quitting Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking addiction
• Bronchitis, Sinus, Allergy
• Colitis and Irritable Bowel (IBS)
Herbal Consultations
Mahesh R. Dave, MD Nalini M. Dave, MD
1201 D Briarcrest Drive, Bryan • 979-776-5600
TAMU-BC/BS, United Health Care, Cigna and other insurance. May cover acupuncture.
www.BrazosDoctors.com
Satchel’s
NORTHGATE
260-8850
Across the street from Tradition’s Dorm
Monday/Tuesday Lunch Special
Monday Noon • Tuesday Noon
Chicken Fried Steak .
w/French Fries $ 95
& Salad „ M m your choice
1
5 Vegetable Plate
w/ *1.30 longnecks all day, everyday
Aggie Card welcome! Free Parking behind Shadow Canyon.
$
kinko's
Your Student Election
Headquarters!
We have all of the supplies that you need.
Call and check us out - 846-8721.
18” x 24” Black and white - $ 1.50
Express color copies 59^
Color Paper with black ink -
(letter size, single sided paper)
Full Color Vinyl Banners - $ 6.00 per square foot
All prices apply to those working on student elections.
Please allow a 24 hour turnaround time for the vinyl banners.
509 University Drive, Northgate
OPEN 24 HOURS, 7 DAYS A WEEK
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