Evening star., 1953-04-09
By John McKeIwoy

By John McKeIwoy
What makes the distribution
of gamma globulin knotty, tir-
ing problem is simply that there's
not enough to go around.
But added to that is the char
acter of the disease gamma
globulin will be dealing with this
summer.
Polio is unpredictable. Besides
three strains of its elusive virus,
the polio germ also carries an
unusual amount of human emo
tion-it cripples little children.
The problem, then. is also a
ticklish one.
Still. by May /, doctors, health
departments, the Red Cross and
the Office of Defense Mobilization
will try to forget these troubles.
Quietly, and for the first time,
they hope to furnish some sort
Of protection against polio.
Even to do that, they have to
sit and wait for polio to make
the first move.
Started Last Summer.
It all started last summer.
With the help of $1,000 young
Sters in Texas, it was proved that
gamma globulin, a blood frac-
ton. was effective in tempering
the paralysis in polio. But the
mass test also showed that !
gamma globulin had no lasting
effect" as vaccine would bring.
Its protection period was set at
from four to five weeks. To be
effective, it had to be injected
before polio struck.
Despite recent reports that a
polio vaccine is near and has
been developed, gamma globulin
still remains the only available
Stop-gap against the disease.
It was about the time of the
Texas tests that the National
Foundation for Infantile Paraly-
Sis and the Office Of Defense
Mobilization started thinking
about this summers polio sweep.
The ODM came into the pic
ture because Of the scarce"
aspect Of gamma globulin. It
asked the Red Cross to collect
more blood to be turned into
gamma globulin. The Red Cross
accepted the job.
Until the report on the Texas
tests. the only known medical
uses for gamma globulin were
in the prevention or modifica-
ton Of measles and infectious
hepatitiS, a jaundiced-marked
disease Of the liver.
Only a few drug manufactur-
ing companies were turning out
gamma globulin. Some of, these
baked when it was suggested to
them to go into high gear in the
production of gamma globulin.
They were afraid a vaccine might
be developed for polio right in
the middle of their gamma
giooulln program and knock out
the market. The question was
also brought up as to whether
gamma globulin was more VAL
liable in the treatment of polio
than in infectious hepatitis or
measles.
Pool Organized.
1t was then decided, after
many meetings, that all existing
supplies Of gamma bIobulin be
pooled. The armed services
turned over a large batch to the
Red Cross, and the polio founda-
ton bought all existing supplies
from private manufacturers.
Gamma globulin was then poured
into a big pool with ODM con-
trolling the Spigots.
The Red Cross, meanwhile
explained that the production of
tulIy-proceSsed and fully tested
patches of gamma globulin would
take about three months. Thev
said they would be ready by May. |
They cautioned that the supply
would be far from enough.
With the knowledge that |
gamma globulin would be scarce
this was the question everybody |
was thinking about: Who has to |
say. You get gamma globulin,
and you don't"
There were other questions. |
Should a single shot be given
to a certain number Of indi-
vldualS-with a chance Of pro-
tecting them for only four or five |
weeks-or should more than |
one shot be given to a lesser |
number, with a chance of pro-
tecting them during the entire
polio season? Then there was
the one that asked, to what ex-
tent should the choice be made
between children and adults? AS
an example, what about preg-
nant women in an area hit by
polio?
Distribution Explained.
Although no final steps have |
been taken. the United States |
Public Health Service and Red |
Cross officials say gamma globu-
lin will probably be distributed |
in this fashion:
No gamma globulin will be |
doled out until polio has struck. |
When it does, and when the case
has been clinically diagnosed as
polio, gamma globulin will be
aimed at those who have been
closest to the caSe-the family. |
It is estimated there is enough
gamma globulin to provide most