Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-08
Meeting of Parents Virtually
Unanimous for Polio Shots

Fairfax County parents turned
out in droveS last night to hear
about the forthcoming Salk polio
vaccine tests. and a majority of
them were eager to have their
children participate.
A crowd of 800 mothers and
fathers attended a meeting at
the Annandale Elementary
School. which was the largest
of three being held simultane-
ously.
Practically every hand was
raised when one father asked
how many present were willing
to have their children receive
the test vaccine injections.
Twelve raised their hands when
it was asked how many had
doubts. No hand was raised
when absolute opponents were
called for. One man didn't vote
because he said his wife wasn't
present.
Other meetings were held last
night in Centreville Elementary
School and in James Lee Ele-
mentary School for colored.
DR.. Harold Kennedy, county
health officer, conducted the An
Mandate meeting. He explained
that $500 children in the second
grades of public. private and
parochial schools are to begin re-
ceiving the vaccine April 26, pro-
vided parents sign written re-
quests for their children to par
ticipate.
To Sign for Others.
Parents of first and third
grade students also will be asked
to sign written requests for their
children to serve as controls,
which means that the incidence
of polio among them will be
checked against that of the chill
dren who receive the vaccine.
Two per cent of the children in
all three grades will be given
blood tests before and after the
vaccinations as a further check
on the incidence of polio, because
some children have mild polio
cases that are never diagnosed.
DR.. Kennedy stressed that the
tests are being conducted to show
the effectiveness of the vaccine
and not to determine it's safety.
He emphasized that the safety
already had been established by
tests in the Pittsburgh area.
Several parents wanted to
know about the live, fatal virus
that Walter Winchell reported
had been found IN some of the
commercially produced Salk vac
cine.
DR.. Kennedy explained that
the commercial vaccine goes
through three separate tests to
guarantee that no live virus is
present. He said he is more con-
f1dent of the vaccine because
laboratory tests did find some
live virus present. Other types
Of vaccine undergo the same
type Of tests to see If live virus
are present before it is used.
Questions They Asked.
Parents showed by their ques-
tons that they were well read
on the progress Of the polio vac
cine tests to date. They spoke
of anti-bodies, RH-factors, vari-
Gus types of polio virus and used
other medical terms as fluently
as you might expect to hear such
things discussed at a doctors
convention. Here are some of
the questions they asked and
the answers they were given:
@. Was the live virus Winchell
spoke Of found in the first or last
test?
A. I am not sure, but the i'm
portant thing is that it was found
by the testing. All vaccine is
tested three times for live virus.
(The Salk vaccine is a dead-virus
vaccine which scientists say can
not cause the disease in those
who are inoculated. Only live
virus can cause the disease. said
DR.. Kennedy
@. How long is the immuniza ;
ton supposed to last?
A. We aren't sure. but the in
ventor believes it will last q life
time.
@. Will our children have any
serious reactions?