Finding the source
Investigators are just about certain the anthrax that killed five people this fall originated from within the U.S. Domestic terrorism experts have been dispatched to study the patterns and delivery methods of the anthrax letters, hoping to pinpoint some identifying trait linking the attacks to a specific person or group.
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Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge hedged Tuesday when asked specifically about the military's potential involvement in the anthrax attacks. "There are multiple agencies within government that have for many years, for many reasons had access to this strain of anthrax," he told reporters. "The connection [to the military] could very well exist. The fact is we have multiple leads."
According to scientists familiar with the manufacturing of weapons-grade anthrax, the investigation is likely to be frustrating, simply because so many agencies and individuals are familiar with the process, and have access to this specific strain of the bacteria.
Offering a vaccine
Thanks to an historic offer from federal health officials, as many as 3,000 Capitol Hill and post office workers are eligible to receive the anthrax vaccine. This is the first time the government has provided civilians with vaccination against bioterror weapons. (The program is part of an experimental study run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
The eligible workers are those believed to have been exposed to concentrated anthrax spores; while no new cases have emerged, health officials say they are eager to provide any reassuring measures, out of, as one official put it, "an abundance of caution."
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson announced the program Tuesday, adding that those not interested in the vaccine (which has been linked to rare but serious side effects) can also opt to take 40 extra days of antibiotics.