MARINE REFUSES VACCINE; VALLEY PARENTS SUPPORT SON IN RESISTING ORDERS FOR SHOT.

Byline: Phillip W. Browne Daily News Staff Writer

A U.S. Marine from Sherman Oaks said Thursday he has been demoted, given extra duties, confined to his barracks and has lost half of his pay because he has refused anthrax vaccination shots.

Pfc. Roman J. Lezo, now stationed in Kaneohe, Hawaii, is the latest to join the ranks of 168 U.S. servicemen who have refused the vaccine, military officials said. Lezo said he is proud to be a Marine and takes his oath to protect his country seriously. Although his military career is in jeopardy, he said he is concerned about his health.

``I'm willing to fight for my country, but I'm not going to take this vaccine,'' said Lezo, 20, a mechanic with the Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron unit 363. ``My health is my No. 1 priority.''

Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen directed the Pentagon to begin administering the injections last year, considering it necessary because of the increasing chance of germ warfare.

But stories on the Internet and rumors among servicemen claim it could cause brain damage, birth defects, infertility and cancer in the long term, sparking defiance among the troops.

``It is absolutely safe, and there's no reason to be afraid of it,'' said Virginia Stephanakis, spokeswoman for the U.S. Army Surgeon General's Office at the Pentagon. ``The rumors are patently false.''

Lezo's parents, Roman V. and Roberta Lezo, think their son is making the right decision.

``We don't really know about the long-term effects. He feels like he's being used as a guinea pig,'' the senior Roman Lezo said.

Anthrax is a disease that normally affects livestock but can be used as a biological warfare agent capable of killing thousands of people, with a 90 percent fatality rate if left untreated. It is considered one of the most deadly biological warfare agents ever developed, Stephanakis said.

Saddam Hussein has claimed he has enough of the bacteria to wipe out millions.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine in the 1970s and there hasn't been one case of serious, long-term side effects, Stephanakis said. Only 38 of the 230,000 vaccinated troops have suffered short-term side effects, ranging from red spots to soreness to flulike symptoms. One sailor suffered temporary paralysis, but he recovered quickly.

``These soldiers refusing the vaccine have genuine concerns, but they are miseducated,'' Stephanakis said. ``I regret that they are risking their careers over this.''

Once a lance corporal with secret security clearance, Lezo now faces a special court martial and could be jailed for six months, lose two-thirds of his pay and be dishonorably discharged with a felony on his record, base spokesman Maj. Jeff Nyhart said.

``He's refused the shots three times, so his commander held him for administrative punishment,'' Nyhart said, adding that 13 others at the base have also refused, compared to 6,300 troops who have accepted the shots.

``We try to educate the troops the best we can that this is no different than any other vaccine,'' Nyhart said.

Still, Lezo said he's going to fight.

``I feel this is an unlawful order because the vaccine hasn't been tested properly,'' Lezo said. ``It's upsetting that they're throwing the book at me and not giving me a choice.''

Servicemen who refuse the vaccine face discharge from the military. Whether it is honorable, which preserves their benefits, or dishonorable depends on their record and how they behave, Pentagon officials said.

All of the 2.4 million military personnel will be ordered to receive the vaccine by 2004, Stephanakis said.

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Photo

Photo: Roman V. and Roberta Lezo of Sherman Oaks show a photo of their Marine son, Roman J.

Evan Yee/Daily News