In an August 23 letter to Secretary Albright, Jones praised the Secretary’s decision to make the program voluntary and asked to gain access to the information that influenced her decision.  A full text of Jones’ letter to Secretary Albright is available upon request.

 “Given the very serious questions surrounding the efficacy of the anthrax vaccine, I applaud your decision to make the program voluntary in nature,” Jones wrote.  “However, as you know, the Department of Defense has chosen – despite the grave concerns of both medical professionals and uniformed personnel – to force DOD employees to choose between being inoculated or potentially face criminal prosecution.” 

    “The inconsistency between Departments, is baffling – and wrong.  Since State Department employees are more widely dispersed, and thus more widely exposed to a potential anthrax threat, the logic of your voluntary program underscores the illogic of the DOD position,” he wrote.

 Congressman Jones specifically requested all documentation pertaining to the Department of State’s decision to implement a program of anthrax immunization and any information supporting its decision to make the program voluntary.

After hearing from a number of military officers and enlisted personnel who expressed valid concerns about the long-term effects of the anthrax vaccine, Congressman Jones introduced the American Military Health Protection Act, H.R. 2543.  The bill would make voluntary the current DOD mandatory vaccine program until the Food and Drug Administration approves a new anthrax vaccine for humans or reduces its current, six-shot course.