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By Category: Policy & Initiatives

US to test anthrax vaccine in children… maybe

(New Scientist) The US National Biodefense Science Board has told the US government that to prepare for a bioterrorist attack it should test a decades-old anthrax vaccine in children, as its effects in the young are unknown. In the event of an anthrax attack, …

November 3, 2011
| Filed under North America, Policy & Initiatives, and Public Health
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Scientific Case Still Open On 2001 Anthrax Attacks

( NPR ) Army microbiologist Bruce Ivins, the FBI’s prime suspect in the 2001 anthrax attacks, died before his trial in an apparent suicide, and the case is now closed. John Dankosky and guests discuss new investigations that question whether scientific evidence against Ivins was conclusive enough to hold up in court.

November 2, 2011
| Filed under North America, Biological Weapons, Bioterrorism, and Policy & Initiatives
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Amerithrax review: Lessons for future investigations

(Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists) When the National Academy of Sciences issued its review of the FBI anthrax investigation earlier this year, the press fixated primarily on one point: The report found no conclusive evidence that Bruce Ivins, the Army scientist the government contends was responsible for a series of anthrax-laced letters mailed in 2001, Read More »

November 2, 2011
| Filed under North America, Biological Weapons, Biotechnology, Bioterrorism, and Policy & Initiatives
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Educating the life scientists

(Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists) There are increasing signs that state parties to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) realize that the lack of biosecurity awareness and education among life scientists represents a serious gap in the overall web of policies designed to prevent bioterrorism and biowarfare. Without such awareness and education, how can practicing life Read More »

November 2, 2011
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, South Asia, Biotechnology, Countermeasures, International, Policy & Initiatives, and Research
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Ten years after anthrax, how safe is your mail?

(Washington Post) DeVaughn was sentenced to six years in federal prison for the incident, which, although no one was harmed, raised the obvious specter of another anthrax attack. A decade ago, anthrax spores delivered in letters killed five people, injured 17 and …