The Key West citizen., 1952-10-20

DR.. Howe's, has found that polio
yiruses stay in the blood of in
fected champanzees for several
days before invading the nerves
and causing paralysis. If the mon
keys are given gamma globulin by
or before then, the virus is dis
armed.
Gamma globulion was tested
this summer in Texas and Iowa
to see if it would similarly protect
humans.
But gamma gIobulin is not a
vaccine. Any protective effect it
has would be temporary, for it
decays few weeks after being in
blood.
There are two approaches to pro-
ducing a vaccine.
One is to develop a mild strain
of the disease, which will give a
person a mild case and make him
immune. Such a mild strain has
been developed for the Lansing
type of polio. But there are possible
risks in using even a mild form of
polio virus. And it is very difficult
to produce a mild form Of all three
types of polio. A vaccine must con-
tain all three forms, because all
three types Of virus are SO pre-
yalent.
The other approach is to make
the yiruses inert, BY using. chem
ical, formalin. which destroys their
ability to produce disease yet
spares the ability to produce anti
bodies.
DR.. Howe did that.
He gave each OF the three polio
types to different groups of mon
keys. After they were severely
paralyzed, he removed the spinal
cords, ground them into a thin
broth, and isolated the virus ma
terial 10 a centrifuge.
A large monkey spinal cord, dill
uted 10 times, produces enough
vaccine for 20 children.
The three broths were combined
with formalin TO kill the viruses.
The triple vaccine was given first
to monkeys to be sure it was
harmless.
The vaccine was injected into
the muscle Of children. As double
safety factor, they were also given
doses Of gamma giobulin before the
experiment TO combat any nfec-
ton that might develop None did.
The vaccine was administered in
two doses, about three months
apart, and caused no discomfort
or temperature.
The crux Of The experiment was
the amount of the three kinds of
antibodieS--to fight the three types
of polio-.found in the chlldren's
blood later.
The amount Of Lansing virus
antib0dy in every case compared
fsyorsbly with the amounts needed
TO protect monkeys against the
Iansing form Of polio.
Ali had more Ieon-type antihody
than Lansing. The Brunhlide anti
body level was p0oresi-only two
children showed sny-but in this
respect, they were like the chin
paHzees.
The amount Of autibodies needed
to immnHize against Leon aud
Branhnde strains x siras is not
known.
Biood tests six Haonfhs after the
first iRoealstiea skgwea that the
satikady leFelS or am0aHts has
dropped ha tkst most of the ehll-
aren still lad s0He aniibossses.
There ere stil pFahlems shess
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