Health-related quality of life in the Anthrax Vaccination Program for workers in the Laboratory Response Network.
BACKGROUND
In 2002 CDC initiated the Anthrax Vaccination Program (AVP) to provide voluntary pre-exposure vaccination with Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed (AVA) for persons at high risk of exposure to Bacillus anthracis spores. There has been concern that AVA could be associated with long term impairment of physical and/or mental health.


OBJECTIVE
To ascertain whether physical and mental functional status, as measured by the SF-36v2 health survey (Medical Outcomes Trust, Boston, MA), of AVA recipients and controls changed differently over time.


METHODS
We enrolled 437 exposed (received AVA) and 139 control subjects. The exposed group received AVA under then-current Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations. SF-36v2 surveys were completed at 0, 12, and 30 months. SF-36v2 physical and mental scores both range from 0 to 100 with an estimated national average of 50 points.


RESULTS
For physical scores, the average change from baseline was -0.53 for exposed vs. -0.67 for controls at 12 months (p=0.80) and -1.09 for exposed vs. -1.97 for controls at 30 months (p=0.23). For mental scores, the average change from baseline was -1.50 for exposed vs. -1.64 for controls at 12 months (p=0.86) and -2.11 for exposed vs. -0.24 for controls at 30 months (p=0.06). In multivariable analysis, the difference in mental score change between exposed vs. controls at 30 months was less pronounced (p=0.37) but other findings were similar to univariate analyses.


CONCLUSIONS
These results do not favor an association between receipt of AVA and an altered health related quality of life over a 30-month period.
Immunization Safety Office, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Brock
B
Stewart
Yujia
Y
Zhang
Charles E
CE
Rose
Jerome I
JI
Tokars
Stacey W
SW
Martin
Laura H
LH
Franzke
Michael M
MM
McNeil
D000328:Adult; D022122:Anthrax Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D057566:Self Report
D022122:Anthrax Vaccines