US considers testing vaccine for anthrax on children

Officials seek to prepare for terror attack; critics say move is unnecessary

By Rob Stein

Washington Post / October 25, 2011

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The Obama administration is wrestling with the thorny question of whether scientists should inject healthy children with the anthrax vaccine to see whether the shots would safely protect them against a bioterrorism attack. The other option is to wait until an attack happens and then try to gather data from children whose parents agree to inoculate them in the face of an actual threat. A key working group of federal advisers in September endorsed testing, sparking objections from those who consider that step unethical, unnecessary and dangerous.

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