Why is the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) collecting plasma from anthrax-vaccinated people?
Despite treatment with highly active antibiotics there is still a significant mortality from inhalational anthrax. Because of this, the DHHS Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) Office, funded under Project Bioshield, is working to make a new kind of anthrax medication by collecting blood plasma from people who have been vaccinated against anthrax. Antibodies found in this plasma fight anthrax infections and will be used to create a medication which will be known as anthrax immune globulin or AIG. Over 1.8 million people have received anthrax vaccine since 1998; most of which were U.S. service members. DHHS asked the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to assist with the AIG plasma program to improve the Nations medical defenses against anthrax attack. The DoD agreed to distribute information about this voluntary DHHS BARDA office program to service members.
