Meeting

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) held a public meeting for a discussion about health effects in veterans associated with the herbicides sprayed during the Vietnam War. The report from this committee will be provided to the Department of Veterans Affairs to help advise officials on policy decisions regarding compensation to veterans for service-related illnesses.

The primary purpose of this meeting was to hear from Vietnam veterans about their health concerns. All Vietnam veterans were invited, and anyone who wished to share a personal experience with the committee was encouraged to reserve a time on the agenda.
During this meeting, there was:
• Discussion of the relevance of information concerning inorganic arsenic and toxicity of the organic arsenic herbicide (cacodylic acid) sprayed in Vietnam
• Consideration of the possibility of an association between Parkinson’s Disease and the herbicides sprayed in Vietnam

This conversation informed the IOM's Committee to Review the Health Effects in Vietnam of Exposure to Herbicides (Seventh Biennial Update) in its review of the scientific evidence regarding the link between exposure to the herbicides used in Vietnam and adverse health outcomes.