A central principle of the MOD's approach to addressing the health concerns of veterans of the 1990/1991 Gulf Conflict has been that there should be appropriate research into veterans' illnesses and factors that may have a bearing on these.
As a key part of that research, the MOD sponsored a Vaccines Interactions Research Programme into the possible adverse health effects of the combination of vaccines and tablets given to troops to protect them against the threat of biological and chemical warfare. The programme, which was overseen by an independent panel of experts and veterans representatives, consisted of three main studies. The first examined the interaction of certain vaccines in mice. The findings were reported in 2005 in the journal Human Vaccines [See Related links].
The second, and main, study was undertaken at Dstl Porton Down and involved monitoring marmosets for up to 18 months following the administration of vaccines and/or pyridostigmine bromide (the active ingredient in Nerve Agent Pretreatment tablets). Partial results from the study, covering cognition, muscle function, general health and sleep, were published in July 2006 in the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behaviour [See Related links]. Papers reporting the key final results on the immunological aspects of the study were published online in the journal International Immunopharmocology [See Related links].
The papers report that the immune system had not been compromised by any of the treatments given and that there was no evidence of adverse health effects due to the administration of vaccines and/or pyridostigmine bromide. The study findings have been independently endorsed. Donald Davies, Emeritus Professor in Toxicology Imperial College London, who chaired the independent group which oversaw the study, said: "This study has addressed a valid question in experiments that were well designed and conducted. I have discussed the results with expert immunologists from the group and we support the conclusion that the animals suffered no adverse health effect, despite exposure to exaggerated doses of vaccines." [See Related pages]
The final study examined whether staff from Dstl Porton Down who received multiple vaccinations during their employment had higher levels of sick leave than their unvaccinated colleagues. The findings [See Related pages ] show that staff at Porton Down who had received multiple vaccinations suffered no excess sick absence.
The overwhelming evidence from the programme is that the combination of vaccines and tablets that were offered to UK Forces at the time of the 1990/1991 Gulf Conflict would not have had adverse health effects. This has been a key area of concern among Gulf veterans and the results of the research should be reassuring to those veterans who have been concerned about the safety of the medical countermeasures that they were given. We hope too that it will reinforce confidence in the countermeasures that are offered today and in the future.