looking into joining the military......

[Vatican_Assassin]

Only thing that is holding me back is not wanting to be vaccinated. I know that vaccines are a requirement, most of them that are required are not proven to be safe and effective, one of them most being the anthrax vaccine. Is there any way to refuse it by signing a waiver, or be exempt from vaccinations due to religious beliefs? Are there any active military members on list that have received the required vaccines with any major side effects? Thanks.

[Morgan]

I did 23 yrs in the military and served several times in combat zones.  I've received numerous injections and have administered thousands.  A small percentage of Soldiers have reactions, especially to Anthrax - mostly superficial redness that goes away with time.   A few Soldiers refused to have the Anthrax, so the Army policy is to have the Soldiers commander come in to give him a direct order to receive whatever shot was due. Failure to follow a direct order results in UCMJ action.  Women can be exempt if they're pregnant, but other than that, I never came across anyone that wouldn't get them for religious reasons. Other than your initial vaccines (MMR, Polio, Tetanus, Tuberculosis screen), you'll need to take an annual flu vaccination (or mist), sometimes Yellow Fever (every 10 yrs). I know one officer who was given his yearly flu vaccination several years ago and developed something called Guillain Barre Syndrome (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001704/). That put him in the ICU on a ventilator for quite awhile.

Sounds like you wouldn't fare well in the military if this is an issue.

[Vatican_Assassin]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/10/10/eveningnews/main577583.shtml

MilitaryVaccineWoes Mount

(CBS) Dennis Drew was prepared to fight the enemy in Iraq, but never got the chance. After his military vaccinations, his immune system completely unraveled.

"Severe pneumonia and myocarditis, I think almost killed me," said Drew, a U.S. Army chemical weapons specialist.

Now living in constant pain, daily life is almost unbearable. His illnesses are nearly identical to those suffered by Rachel Lacy before she died last spring. The coroner said her military shots were likely to blame.

It's estimated thousands of soldiers claim serious illnesses from military vaccines. But to them, the most maddening thing is they don't exist -- at least in the eyes of top military brass -- who insist there is, quote, "no evidence, none whatsoever" that inoculations cause any long-term problems, reports CBS News Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson.

That includes blood clots.

The military denied any possible link to vaccines when NBC War Correspondent David Bloom died at age 39 of an apparent blood clot after his military shots.

Yet a CBS News investigation has uncovered more than a dozen cases of the vaccines being linked to blood clot problems. It's suspected in Drew's illness, confirmed by the military's own records in former Army Captain Jason Nietupski who developed blood clots in his legs, and documented in former navy nurse Julia Dyckman.

Dyckman's immune system fell apart after her shots for the first Gulf War. Now she has debilitating problems from brain lesions to dissolving neck bones.

"It's harder to live with these illnesses than if I was shot in combat," said the retired U.S. Navy captain.

She watched the latest deployment with a mix of interest and dread.

"I was worried. And I also had another reason to be worried because I also have three sons in the military right now," she said.

Sons who may be ordered to get the shots themselves -- those who refuse are court-martialed or kicked out of the service.

Their lives forever changed, the victims old and new desperately want to find out why the vaccines are making some soldiers so sick, but say they can't fight the enemy if the Pentagon denies the enemy exis

[Uncle Stan]

Would guess a serious reaction to any shot is less than getting hit by lighting or any traveling accident.

I always had a reaction to the tetanus shot, but is only lasted a few days. Meaningless in the scope of things.

[Morgan]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/10/10/eveningnews/main577583.shtml

MilitaryVaccineWoes Mount

Like I said, you probably wouldn't fare too well in the military. BTW, military medicine probably gives a few million shots a year, so you can expect a percentage of reactions, some severe (anaphylaxis). No one is denying that. I am skeptical to see David Blums' death caused by shots - last I heard he died of a pulmonary embolism caused by DVT from being cramped in a vehicle for days.  Any thoughts of not immunizing our military forces is an utterly ridiculous idea.

[ONEBIGDADDY]

Only thing that is holding me back is not wanting to be vaccinated. I know that vaccines are a requirement, most of them that are required are not proven to be safe and effective, one of them most being the anthrax vaccine. Is there any way to refuse it by signing a waiver, or be exempt from vaccinations due to religious beliefs? Are there any active military members on list that have received the required vaccines with any major side effects? Thanks.

I know that you will have to have atleast 15 shots to keep your immunities up so you can make adjustments to different geographical adjustments of areas. Its not hard at all. I think the medical will carry you for life you just have to start realizing if you want to be in the military you have to be ready so you don't get sick...OBD

[spartan]

VA, with all due respect if that is your only worry ...

When I joined up my biggest worry was getting shot! Or blown up!

[leeroybuc93]

If you don't want the shots then the military is not for you. I get different shots about twice a year with lots of extras before every deployment. As was previously stated, there is no way out of them while continuing a productive military career. I agree that just the sheer amount of shots given by the military makes of easy to find an example that "might" he caused by them. I wouldn't worry about it.

[Morgan]

VA, with all due respect if that is your only worry ...

When I joined up my biggest worry was getting shot! Or blown up!

During my 20-something years of service, I rarely heard anyone worried about the potential care they would receive at any of the VA facilities in the USA. Are you basing your opinion on some movie you might have seen w/ Tom Cruise?

[dbucfan]

Maybe some worry but don't speak to you

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=Problems+with+VA+hospitals&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Seems like a fairly expansive topic from a variety of sources. 

[Morgan]

Okay, some blog articles from 2007 (4 yrs ago) and Sydney Austrailia (BTW, Walter Reed isn't a VA hospital).   

Try Google searching American Hospitals + lawsuits and you'll find your share of problems in private hospitals as well.

Also, Google search TBI and artificial prosthetic limbs and you'll find all kinds of positive articles - the VA hospitals are leading the medical field in advanced care for battlefield injuries.  But if rightwingers  want to cut the budget for these programs, you'll likely start seeing issue come up with VA care. 

[Vatican_Assassin]

I don't get why there is such a need for so many vaccinations? I mean, just because you get the shot doesn't mean you are safe from getting the disease, if anything, you more likely to get it with the shot. I don't get sick, espescially not the flu, which they shove down your throat every year to get.  It seems everybody I know that has their shots are always sick. It's like with the overblown swine flu, you were 2-3 times more likely of getting it if you take the shot. Tell me how mercury, formaldehyde, squalene, etc. are good for the immune system? Tell me, why are these pharmaceutical companies that make the vaccines are blocked from any lawsuit against them?

[spartan]

VA, with all due respect if that is your only worry ...

When I joined up my biggest worry was getting shot! Or blown up!

During my 20-something years of service, I rarely heard anyone worried about the potential care they would receive at any of the VA facilities in the USA. Are you basing your opinion on some movie you might have seen w/ Tom Cruise?

Unnecessary response, especially as I wasn't talking about the care after the event of getting injured. I was referencing the actual act of getting shot or blown up. It hurts, a lot, and can have career or life ending consequences. I was also in the British Army so the quality of VA facilities don't enter the equation.

Back to the original point. When you join the military you are essentially signing up to get shot at, so if the thought of a few jabs causes great concern, I hate to think what it will do when you start thinking of people trying to kill you.

[Vatican_Assassin]

It's not that I'm afraid to die, I'm more concerned about how I die. I would prefer dying from gunshots as opposed to having a condition and dying slowly from a faulty vaccination.

[Vatican_Assassin]

So Morgan, you were 23 yrs in, I assumed you liked it? Why didn't you stay in, was it just your time? I was maybe thinking of being an MP and work my way to bei up beng a CID.