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omen ares OQ INF ETN DATE lé- ORMATION co In UNCLASSIF 10-2008 BY 6 ATWET ET O32 uc haw/rs/mjs _ The critical importance of the United States human anthrax vaccine, AVA (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed), to the United States Military was brought clearly into focus in 1997, when’ Secretary: of Defense Cohen mandated vaccinations for men and women in the U>S. armed services. By 2000, however, it was apparent that the continued supply of the vaccine to the military was in serious jeopardy, as production lots began failing the potency test. This test requires defined levels of protection in guinea pigs inoculated with specific dilutions of vaccine and subsequent challenged with virulent anthrax spores. In April of 2000 [| [JUSAMRIID employees began serious efforts to solve the potency test problems. These. efforts did not end until AVA was approved for release in early 2002, and it was precisely because of these efforts that the vaccine has again become available to protect men and women in the military. {assumed during the period are .Among the critical tasks tha included: