Airmen Refuse Anthrax Vaccine

When the top guns of the Connecticut Air National Guard head to the Persian Gulf for duty this spring, a quarter of their combat-ready fighting force, eight pilots, won't be going with them, reports CBS news Correspondent Jeffrey Kofman.

"I don't really care if an Iraqi or an Iranian or a North Korean takes a pot-shot at me and puts me in a grave, but I sure as hell care that if my country tries to do the same to me," says Major Dom Possemato of the Grounded National Guard Pilot.

The shot that terrifies them: the anthrax vaccine. Widely used during the Gulf War, there are lingering fears that the vaccine is neither safe nor effective. This is why these pilots have refused the shot, even if it means being grounded.

"I believe that the anthrax shot is going to be responsible for the loss of more pilots than Saddam Hussein ever dreamed he could shoot out of the sky," says Capt. Tom Rempfer.

For the 2.4 million people in the military in active duty, reserve and National Guard programs, getting vaccinated against anthrax is an order rather than an option. So far, more than 160,000 service members have had their first shots. The Pentagon says fewer than 100 have refused.

"This has been proven safe, and we think that this is a very good way to deal with the risk that people could face on the battlefield," says Ken Bacon, Pentagon Spokesman.

The source of much of the anxiety is a web site. It quotes the research of Dr. Meryl Nass, who calls herself a self-trained expert in biological warfare.

"It should not be administered to human beings until it has been proven safe. There is a whole lot of only circumstantial evidence and anecdotal evidence that suggests it's not safe," says Dr. Nass.

This is too big a risk for these pilots, who instead are risking the future of their military careers.

"We are doing this on principal - we got nothing to gain out of this. We've lost the thing that we love to do: fly airplanes," comments Major Dom Possemato.

The message from the Pentagon, however, is clear. Those pilots won't be taking off until they've taken the shot.