For immediate release
Friday, April 1, 2005

National Vaccine Information Center
Stands with Anthrax Band on Informed Consent

Today at 2 p.m. EST at Sirius Satellite Radio’s Headquarters in New York City, the National Vaccine Information Center will stand with the heavy metal band, Anthrax, to kick off the band’s reunion and tour. Along with the Military Vaccine Education Center, Alliance for Human Research Protection, and Slave to the Metal Foundation, NVIC is joining with the band, Anthrax, in protesting the forced use of the experimental anthrax vaccine by military servicemembers and promoting the importance of the human right to informed consent to vaccination.

Anthrax, a band known for its boundary-breaking music and independent thought, is using the occasion of its reunion to raise public awareness about the military’s forced anthrax vaccination program. The press conference will include statements by Randi Airola, executive director, Military Vaccine Education Center (www.milvacs.org); Barbara Loe Fisher, president and co-founder, NVIC (www.nvic.org; www.nvic.org); Jesse Kearns, a young anthrax vaccine victim; and Vera Hassner Sharav, president, Alliance for Human Research Protection (www.ahrp.org). An except from the documentary “Direct Order” on the military’s mandatory anthrax vaccination program produced by Scott Miller will also be shown.

In December 2004, a U.S. District Court judge ruled the anthrax vaccine is experimental and issued an injunction ordering the Department of Defense (DOD) to stop giving the anthrax vaccine to soldiers without their voluntary, informed consent. The Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Health and Human Services have invoked the Emergency Use authorization given to them by the Project Bioshield Act to get around the judge’s injunction. NVIC filed an amicus brief, along with the Military Vaccine Education Center and National Gulf War Resource Center (www.ngwrc.org), in the court case brought by six soldiers against the Secretary of Defense to stop the illegal, off-label use of the anthrax vaccine.

“The soldiers hurt by the anthrax vaccine, just like the children hurt by mandatory childhood vaccines, had no voice and had no choice. If we want to make sure we have the freedom to decide which vaccines we are willing to risk our lives or our child’s life for, we need to get informed, get involved and stand up for our informed consent rights just like the band, Anthrax, is doing today,” said Fisher.

The National Vaccine Information Center was founded by parents of vaccine injured children in 1982. For more information about anthrax vaccine or today’s events, go to www.nvic.org.