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GAO-07-787R 1 (2007-06-29)

handle is hein.gao/gaobaandt0001 and id is 1 raw text is: I GA 0 TAccountability * Integrity * Reliability United States Government Accountability Office Washington, DC 20548 June 29, 2007 The Honorable Carl Levin Chairman The Honorable John McCain Ranking Member Committee on Armed Services United States Senate The Honorable Ike Skelton Chairman The Honorable Duncan L. Hunter Ranking Member Committee on Armed Services House of Representatives Subject: Military Health: DOD's Vaccine Healthcare Centers Network Members of the military have long been required to receive immunizations. The Department of Defense (DOD) estimates that over 2.2 million servicemembers2 receive at least one mandatory immunization annually. Immunizations are provided through the administration of vaccines, which contain antigens or parts of a specific virus or bacterium that are used to trigger an immune response to protect the body from disease. DOD's immunization requirements vary depending on several factors, such as a servicemember's branch of military service, location, age, and type of personnel, such as newly enlisted recruits, those conducting high-risk travel, and reserve forces. No immunization is completely safe. Like all individuals, servicemembers may experience side-effects as a result of their immunizations, known as adverse events. Most adverse events consist of relatively mild reactions, such as swelling near the site of the immunization. However, a small number of individuals may experience more severe reactions, such as some servicemembers who received the anthrax and smallpox vaccines. DOD made these vaccines mandatory starting in 1998 and 2002, respectively, out of concern that these pathogens could 'The military first mandated immunizations in 1777, when General George Washington required troops to receive the smallpox vaccine. Since then, the smallpox vaccine has been given to members of the military during major conflicts including the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The smallpox immunization requirement was suspended in 1990 and was subsequently reinstated for certain personnel in 2002. 2For the purposes of this report, we use the term servicemembers to include all members of the military, including active duty, reserve, and National Guard servicemembers. In addition to servicemembers, DOD may require others to receive immunizations, such as DOD contractors and family members who accompany service members to military locations. GAO-07-787R DOD's Healthcare Centers Network

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