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Politics : Stop the War! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TigerPaw who wrote (17850)	5/27/2003 11:49:50 AM
From: James Calladine	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 21614

Soldiers may sue over 'Iraq War Syndrome' Four soldiers are threatening to sue the Ministry of Defence, claiming they are suffering symptoms akin to Gulf War Syndrome following the war in Iraq. The soldiers are blaming their ailments - including depression, eczema and breathing problems - on vaccinations they had before the war. They say the vaccinations, designed to protect them against chemical weapons, made them feel so ill they could not actually take part in the campaign. Solicitor Mark McGhee, who is representing the unidentified four, said: "I personally have dealt with well in excess of 400 Gulf War One veterans. "The symptoms which these individuals are experiencing are identical to those of the individuals I represent in relation to the first Gulf War conflict." Charles Plumridge, senior co-ordinator of the National Gulf Veterans and Families Association, and himself a veteran of the first Gulf War, said the symptoms were "more or less" similar to the ones from 1991. We've got to question the Government's policy on the mixture of vaccinations. Charles Plumridge, veteran of the 1991 Gulf War He said the only difference was that they had come on earlier. Symptoms such as mood swings and depression were reported about three or four months after soldiers returned from the the 1991 conflict. Mr Plumridge said the soldiers in the recent war had five injections in one day, followed by one anthrax vaccination five days later and a second a week after that. "We've got to question the government's policy on the mixture of vaccinations. "I know from my own personal experience that when we got five injections in one day, we were all ill," he said. Mr Plumridge said that of the four soldiers considering legal action, two did not go to Iraq because they suffered such bad reactions to the vaccinations. One of the other two, who were deployed, had to be flown home after just 10 days because he fell ill. 'Too early' Expert Professor Simon Wessely of King's College in London, conceded it was possible that the multiple vaccinations, and the speed with which they were administered, could have led to problems. But he believed it was far too early to assess whether there could be a "Gulf War Syndrome Mark 2" caused by the Iraq war. "We know that lessons have been learned. The particular vaccine schedule has been changed, and I'm led to believe the way in which they are given has been altered," he said. "But it would be a naive person who thinks policy will always be implemented perfectly and there won't have been mistakes and variations." Court battle The Ministry of Defence has accepted that some returning troops may suffer long-term health problems as a result of the war in Iraq, and has begun a screening programme to identify any symptoms early. GULF WAR SYNDROME Many veterans of the Gulf War claim to suffer a range of symptoms which amounts to a 'syndrome' They have identified several possible causes, with the most likely being injections against chemical weapons The Ministry of Defence disputes there is any one syndrome, though it accepts some troops have suffered ill-health as a result of the war The High Court is due to rule in weeks on whether Gulf War Syndrome can be recognised in law But the government has consistently disputed that the illnesses suffered by Gulf War veterans amount to a "syndrome". Last week a government-funded review said there was "little evidence" to support claims that multiple vaccinations had caused illness. But campaigners recently claimed a victory, after a war pensions appeal tribunal ruled that a former soldier's osteoporosis could be linked to injections he had before the conflict. This could be supported by a High Court ruling, expected later this month, on whether Gulf War Syndrome should be recognised officially in law. The MoD wants the court to overturn a decision by another pensions tribunal, which recognised former Parachute Regiment medic Shaun Rusling as suffering from the condition. Story from BBC NEWS: news.bbc.co.uk Published: 2003/05/27 08:18:36 GMT