§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the administration of nerve agent pre-treatment set, anthrax and plague inoculations would normally require a medical consultation with the patient as there are counter-indications, and if so why these drugs were administered to military personnel involved in the Gulf War without such consultation.
Viscount CranborneVaccines against those biological agents identified as a threat in Operation Granby were made available to Service personnel on the basis of informed consent between patient and medical officer, and were administered with Department of Health guidelines contained in the bookletImmunisation Against Infectious Disease.
The active constituent of the Nerve Agent Pre-treatment Set (NAPS) is the drug pyridostigmine bromide. Its safety and efficacy in giving protection against chemical warfare agents is medically recognised internationally. The circumstances of its use in an operational situation of heightened threat from chemical attack do not allow for individual medical consultation. However, all Service personnel are made aware of the purpose of NAPS and trained in its use.