U.S. Considers Testing A Vaccine Against Weaponized Anthrax For Children
Bacillus Anthracis Bacteria Wikimedia CommonsA government bioethics commission says yes, but only under certain circumstances. Being an ethicist isn't easy. Here's the quandary the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues just sorted through: when it's ethical to give an anthrax vaccine to children. In the pro column, if there was a biological attack on the U.S., vaccination would prep kids for it. But on the other hand, critics of a plan like that say, the chances of that happening are low compared to the chance that some children will react poorly during a vaccine trial. So what's the greater risk? The bioethics commission's report released yesterday says it's worth the risk of a vaccine trial--but only if that risk is established to be very low. To do that, health officials could first test a vaccine in older age groups--late teens, say--then work their way down to young...