DETECTION OF MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS

File: 123096_sep96_decls1_0095.txt
Page: 0095
Total Pages: 109

Subject: DETECTION OF MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS       

Unit: OTSG        

Parent Organization: HSC         

Box  ID: BX003203

Folder Title: DETECTION OF MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS                                       

Document Number:          1

Folder Seq  #:         21













                                                     NATO UNCLASSIFIED


                                                         CHAPTER 8


                                                 PROPHYLAXIS AND THERAPY


                   IMMUNOPROPHYLAXIS

                   801.    It is ancicipated that in a biological operational situation the agents
                   would  be disseminated by aerosol and infection would be most likely via the
                   respiratory system, which may be an unnatural route of infection for the
                   agent.   It is unlikely that the normal Public Health measures used to control
                   a natural epidemic would be effective.      Vaccines against a number of potential
                   biological warfare agents have been developed and others are in various stages
                   of research.   The majority Of the vaccines are not available commercially, nor
                   are they routinely administered to the military or civilian population.            They
                   have been developed specifically for protection againsc possible biological
                   attack, or for protection o' laboratory personnel, or protecLioo,-of-healLir'
                   care staff or military personnel working where che disease is endemic.             These
                   vaccines are available only in small amounts and evidence for the efficacy of
                   some of them may not be soundly scientifically based due to the small trial
                   numbers.   Present research includes development Of live vaccines for oral or
                   pernasal immunisation in order to mimic the natural route of infection; the
                   production of subunit vaccines; study of chemicals and agencs that either
                   potentiate the response to the vaccines or produce a nonspecific increase          in
                   immunity.

erosol attack,          the
                   number of infectious units to which the individual may be exposed may be much
                   greater than in the case of natural exposure.       For this reason, vaccines which
                   generally are considered quite effective may not provide the same level of
                   protection in these circumstances.      Extrapolation from animal studies suggests
                   that the live yellow fever vaccine presently used (17D) probably would protect
                   even against massive exposure, whereas the live tularemia vaccine probably
                   would not.

                   803.  IC is unlikely that the effects of a biological attack will be limited
                   co the military population; provision of total defence by the use of active
                   immunoprophylaxis presents several difficult problems, one of which is the
                   large amount of vaccine required and the considerable number of personnel
                   necessary to carry out the programme.

                   804. The development and production of vaccines required for protection
                   against biological agents can raise several problems.        Because the agents most
                   frequently considered for such use are exotic or uncommon in NATO nations,
                   special facilities which are of limited availability, may be required for both
                   development studies and production.

                   805.  Because of the large amount of vaccine that would be required, culture
                   systems for viral vaccines must be developed using approved cell lines.

                   806. Coupled with the problem of developing and producing the necessary
                   vaccines, is that of their administration. The basic logistical burden is
                   complicated by the number of vaccines, the need for multiple doses of certain


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Document 109 f:/Week-36/BX003203/DETECTION OF MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS/detection of medical defense against biological :1217960927452
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-36
Box ID = BX003203
Unit = OTSG
Parent Organization = HSC
Folder Title = DETECTION OF MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
Folder Seq # = 21
Subject = DETECTION OF MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL
Document Seq # = 1
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 17-DEC-1996