Air Force physician faces court-martial over refusal to get anthrax vaccine

Emergency physician says he doesn't think it's safe.

By amednews staff. Jan. 29, 2001.

A Mississippi-based emergency medicine specialist has become the first physician to face possible court-martial because he refuses to be vaccinated against anthrax. Capt. John Buck, MD, of Kessler Air Force Base initially refused the series of shots in October 2000 because he did not believe that the vaccine had been proven safe.

"I view it as an investigational vaccine being used in an off-label fashion," he said the day after his hearing in January. "As an officer I'm taught to follow orders, but as a physician I'm also taught to base my practice of medicine on science, trust and patients' rights. Unfortunately, I think this mandatory program violates all three of those."

A summary of the hearing has been sent to Air Force command who will either set a court date or dismiss the case within the next month. If Dr. Buck is court-martialed, he faces a maximum of five years in prison. He may also have to pay back most of the scholarship that paid for his medical education and may acquire a criminal record that will bar him from being licensed to practice in some states.

According to an official Air Force statement, the anthrax vaccine is required because members of the military must be prepared to deploy at any time, including to areas with risks of biological warfare. "Over 30 years of usage and more than a decade of increased scrutiny confirms the vaccine's safety and has increased our confidence in its efficacy," said the statement. [...]

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