Medical
Records
Military medical records are, potentially, an important source of
information for family members who are beginning an investigation into
cause of death. Sometimes these records suggest a possible cause of
death; sometimes they will rule out a listed cause of death in a hasty
and unprofessional military investigation.
You may suppose that military medical records would all be kept in a
central database or repository, but as of this writing, that is not the
case. Some medical records may be in the Personnel Record; some may be
at a military or VA hospital or hospitals.
Basically, active duty medical records, including
dental and health checks were kept with personnel records until 1992.
That practice has been discontinued.
Hospital records are generally expected to be retired
to the hospital and/or the Veterans Administration.
To request Military Personnel Records, you need to get
form SF-180. If you are not the next of kin of the soldier or sailor,
you must obtain a release from the next of kin. Generally, you must be
next of kin to make requests for medical records from other institutions
as well. You may even need to show that you are the executor of the
estate of the deceased. Some states recognize that when there is no
estate, next of kin can be declared administrators for the deceased.
Anyone having a problem obtaining the required certificate may contact
us for help in overcoming the problem.
Send the completed SF 180 to:
FAX: 314 801-9195
or
MAIL: National Personnel Records Center
9700 Page Avenue
St Louis, MO 63132-5100
Vaccinations and Immunizations
The US Military Services, in order to have a healthy and ready
membership, has instituted systems of immunization and vaccination for
soldiers and sailors. This is sensible, as troops usually live in close
quarters in relatively large populations.
There are recommended immunizations for new recruits and for soldiers
and sailors traveling abroad. There are also recommended booster
immunizations for long term service members.
Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule
Most immunizations have possible side effects. Sometimes negative side
effects for a particular substance is rare. Sometimes they are not at
all rare. Here is a
source which lists possible negative side effects for specific
vaccinations.
There is a problem for service members when they experience negative
side effects (sometimes serious) and are told that there is no
connection. There are even situations in which service members have died
or been permanently disabled and the Military denies that it was
preventable. Lives have been ruined by substances which have been shown
to cause psychological changes, and although a Yellow Fever vaccine is
on the immunization schedule, you may notice that Lariam and other anti-malarials
are no longer listed. Malaria is a very serious disease and there are
alternatives to Lariam which all service members should be informed of.
This is a very straightforward
article about anti-malarials by a military doctor.
If you have reason to suspect that a negative side effect of
immunization played a part in your family member’s non-combat death, you
will want documentation of any and all immunizations.
A shot record is a portable card, usually yellow in color, which
a service member should have in his or her possessions. The
International Certificate of Vaccination, PHS-731 is the official title
of the Shot Record.
We are aware, however, from the experiences of
soldiers and sailors on active duty, that there have been times when
immunizations and vaccinations have not been properly entered into any
record. The best approach to the problem is contacting unit members and
in researching where your family member was stationed. Some overseas
duty requires anti-malarial treatments.
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