Lee Metcalf: “I am here today to address an issue of critical importance to many of our constituents. Over a year ago, my office was…”

“I am here today to address an issue of critical importance to many of our constituents. Over a year ago, my office was contacted by several veterans and others who were concerned about reports that the presence of antibodies for squalene had been discovered in blood samples of sick Gulf War veterans. How could squalene antibodies show up in the bodies of Gulf War veterans? Squalene is a component of adjuvant formulations used in some experimental vaccines but not in any licensed vaccines. It has not been licensed. An adjuvant is a toxic substance incorporated into a vaccine to accelerate, enhance or prolong specific immune responses. After my initial inquiries, I determined that it would be prudent to ask the GAO to conduct an investigation to determine the facts surrounding these disturbing reports. With over 100,000 of our Gulf War era veterans suffering, I believed it was imperative that we provide them with the truth regarding this issue. GAO's report, recently released to me, is very disturbing and raises an increased number of serious questions.”