Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a debilitating syndrome affecting many military members who served during the Gulf War. Research has linked GWI to multiple vaccinations, including the anthrax vaccine. It is estimated that between 28 and 32 percent of veterans serving during the Gulf War era continue to have symptoms, which include cognitive deficits, musculoskeletal weakness, chronic pain, mood disorders, headache, fatigue, and numerous multi-system complaints. Several papers have been published regarding GWI and its association to vaccines that were required for military troops serving during this era.
One published study which evaluated the health outcomes of Gulf War veterans in Kansas found that non-deployed individuals who received vaccines had a four-fold increased risk of neurological and gastrointestinal problems as well as chronic somatic pain in comparison to those who were not vaccinated. Deployed soldiers who served in the Gulf War region had an 11 times higher risk of health problems than those who were not deployed and who did not receive vaccines.
There continues to be inadequate research to support or deny a link between multiple vaccines administered simultaneously or in a short period of time to members of the military, and chronic long-term health issues. Researchers evaluating the available data on GWS conclude that:
“With regard to health policy, the practice of administering multiple vaccinations simultaneously, or within a highly compressed time frame, should be subject to an urgent safety review. Research is needed to evaluate the health effects of mass vaccination programs, especially when (as here) the recipients are in a position of limited autonomy, and to understand the factors affecting individual responses to vaccination. The benefits derived from short-term protection against infectious disease also need to be weighed against the potential long-term health risks of multiple vaccinations administered synchronously or near-synchronously, and in association with other potentially toxic exposures.”
