I also knew about the bioport facility being shut down for unsafe practices.
As a matter of fact, before I took the first shot in 1999 I had the opportunity to speak with then MCPON Jim Herdt. I asked him what he thought of the facility being shut down and he basically told me to 'shut up and take my shot', though he obviously didn't use those exact words.
I spoke more at length with our ship's doctor (I was on an Amphib ship at the time, which have actual MD's) and he gave me a lot of information and even went on-line and printed out more. This guy, Dr. (LT) Milback wasn't your typical Navy doctor. In fact, he got out and became a family practice physician, which is what he wanted to do, but he was a man I trusted completely. I knew him for 2 years and all that time he was a man of integrity and compassion. He told me it was safe. I believed him. I took the shots. I have never suffered one ill effect.
Please do not consider me unarmed... :-)
I had my doubts, like most military personnel did, at first. I did a lot of reading and asked a lot of questions. My fears were assuaged. I am still convinced simply because I have taken 7 of the shots and have been around hundreds of others who have taken as many of the shots and more and none of us have suffered any ill effects.
Consider this... hundreds of thousands of military personnel have taken these vaccines... as far up the military's ar$e as the media is... if this were a problem for more than a handful of people (which as I said previously, is to be expected) don't you think the media would be all over it? Like they were all over the bioport facility being shut down? I live in San Diego, a predominantly military town... it was all over the news.