Ky. Air Guardsmen Say Anthrax Vaccine Caused Ongoing Health Problems
Wave 3
Online Reporter: Eric Flack
Online Producer: Michael Dever
There are serious accusations against the military, and they're coming from
within ranks. Two Kentucky Air National Guardsmen claim a required vaccine has caused them major health problems. As WAVE 3 Investigator Eric Flack reports, this is not the first time the anthrax vaccine has been the center of controversy.
Kentucky Air National Guardsman Lucas Coffey used to dream of becoming a
pilot. Now he just dreams of being healthy again.
On April 24, 2003, Coffey was sitting in his room at Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany, when according to medical records obtained by WAVE 3, he suffered what is known as a "Grand Mal" seizure.
"I remember about three seconds of it," Coffey said, "and my roommate saying, 'We need help, call 911! Call 911!"
The kind of seizure Coffey was having is considered the most serious kind.
His bunkmates watched as Coffey shook violently, fearing he was gagging on his own tongue.
"Your head pulls to the right," Coffey recalled. "Your eyes roll behind you're head. You're biting, you're gripping so hard you pop your thumbs."
The seizure came just 12 days after Coffey received the anthrax vaccine in preparation for a possible deployment to Iraq. The military says the vaccine is safe -- and mandatory.
Col. Mark Kruas with the 123rd Airlift Wing said he has suffered no ill effects from the vaccine. "I know I take vaccinations like everybody else -- have for about 30 years. And I haven't had any difficulties myself."
But Coffey's seizure was just beginning. Less than two weeks after the first
one, Coffey says he had another. That time, he felt twitching in his leg, and blacked out.
In medical notes, a military doctor called the seizures "an allergic reaction" and wondered if they were "related to the immunizations."
Coffey was put on anti-seizure medication and sent back to Louisville.
Now more than two years later, he says the seizures continue. "It's horrible. It's tremendously hard."
Coffey is now convinced the anthrax vaccinations caused his seizure disorder. He is not the only one to make that claim.
Aaron Haycraft, who was also a member of the Kentucky Air National Guard, suffered vision loss and paralysis after he got the vaccine in 2002.
In response to questions about the safety of the anthrax vaccine, a military
spokesman sent us two Army studies which show no increased health risks for service members who were vaccinated.
In fact, the Air Force initially refused to give Aaron Haycraft medical discharge, saying there was no evidence linking his problems to the anthrax vaccine. But after a prolonged, public fight, the Air Force did an about face.
Haycraft received a medical discharge and a disability pension.
But Coffey has been denied disability by the Air Force, which ruled that he "had not produced any medical evidence" of a "chronic seizure disorder."
The evaluation board recommend Coffey be discharged, with only severance pay, which comes to just 10 percent of his base salary -- "$700 after taxes," Coffey said. "That's almost laughable."
Coffey has appealed, and recently sent the medical evaluation board a letter from a private neurologist in Louisville, who confirmed Coffey's ongoing seizures, and believes there is only a slim chance they will ever end.
And that leaves Coffey at a dead end, not knowing what to do, now that he can't do what he loves most.
"I think about it every day," Coffey said. "Every time I pass an airport, I think about it. It's so devastating, no doubt about it."
While a military spokesman said he could not specifically comment Coffey's case, he says the anthrax vaccine has been safely given to military personnel since the 1950s, and is still being administered routinely.
As for Coffey's appeal to be granted a medical discharge with full benefits, he's been awaiting a decision for months. We'll let you know how it turns out.
