Vaccine refuser would still say no to inoculation -- Associated Press

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October 30, 2001

Vaccine refuser would still say no to inoculation

Associated Press

Mike Angarole discusses his refusal to take the anthrax vaccine in 1999 as

part of his National Guard pilot duties at his Madison, Wis., home. Angarole,

who was grounded for not taking the vaccine, now flies for a commercial

airline and for the Wisconsin Air Guard.

MADISON, Wis. — A pilot who was grounded by the 115th Fighter Wing of the

Wisconsin Air National Guard in 1999 after refusing anthrax vaccinations says

that, despite anthrax deaths and scares across the nation, he would still

refuse the vaccine. Mike Angarole of Madison was one of seven pilots in the

wing who were grounded for refusing anthrax vaccinations. He has since

transferred to the Air Force Reserve. Three of the others have since left

military service and the other three are in the guard or reserve but not as

pilots, he said. Angarole said Monday he still believes the vaccine is unsafe

and could produce serious side effects that might threaten his career as a

civilian pilot. Although the anthrax scare has been on the minds of many,

Angarole said the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have had a bigger impact on his

life and the lives of other airline pilots. “It really has changed things

dramatically,†he said. “We talk about those events [sept. 11] almost daily

and how we would have handled them and what we can do in the future.â€

Angarole noted that all airlines will be mandated to take steps to secure the

cockpit of each plane, whether it be additional locking or monitoring systems

or other means of slowing down anyone other than the pilot from flying the

plane. He said he thinks more about “defensive flying,†ways to put a

hijacker off balance, knowing where the closest airport is and what it would

take to quickly land. Angarole also thinks about what would happen if his

plane was hijacked and military planes intercepted him. “I don’t know

exactly what their orders are, but I would believe it would be to disable us.

It hurts my heart to think about that, but I can accept it,†he said.

Passengers have changed their attitudes, he said. “They are more cognizant of

what is going on in the plane,†he said. Increased airport security touched

Angarole personally. He said he has been searched several times, even though

he was in uniform, and had his razor, tweezers and pocket knife taken from

him. Passengers treat him differently, too. “I have been called ‘sir’ and

have had people say, ‘God bless you’ and thank me for the safe flight. That

never happened before,†he said.