Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-22
Hill, Priest See
Agreement on
Vaccine Supply
BY the Associated Press

Two members of Congress
listened to about an hour of dis
cussion today on the best means
of assuring that Salk polio vac
cine can be made available on an
equal-to-everybody basis and ex-
pressed confidence an agreement
would be worked out quickly.
Senator Hill, Democrat. of
Alabama. chairman of the Sem
ate Labor and Public Welfare
Committee, and Representative
Priest. Democrat. of Tennessee,
chairman of the House Inter-
state Commerce Committee, left
the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT meet
ing after it had been underway
about an hour.
Both said that on the basis of
what they had heard they were
confident some kind of agree
ment aimed at voluntary ham
ding of the problem would re-
suit from the meeting.
Mr.. Priest added that his COM
mittee stands ready at a mo-
ment's notice to consider legis-
lation If that Is necessary"
Closed Door Session
Secretary of Welfare Hobby,
who called the meeting of rep
resentatives of Government
agencies, the medical and public
health professions. the drug in
dustry, congressional committees
and others, said as she went into
the closed door session that she
expected many problems and
concerns to come up today"
She said the objective was to
see to it that the Salk vaccine
gets to the places where it is
needed most at the time that it
is needed.
Basil O'Connor, head Of the
National Foundation for Infan-
tile Paralysis, said he was very
hopeful" the meeting would re-
solve the problem of equitable
distribution.
DR.. Jonas E. Salk Of the Uni
versity of Pittsburgh. developer
of the vaccine, arrived last night
to attend the conference.
Secretary Hobby called the
conference, in accordance with a
directive from Mr.. Eisenhower to
survey and report to him on the
best means of assuring equitable
distribution Of the paralysis pre-
ventive.
Conclusions In Doubt
No agenda was announced. and
it was not clear what conclusions
might be made public-or when.
The Welfare Department said
Mrs. Hobby will report to the
President "as quickly as posi-
ble," and perhaps issue some
general statement. The meeting
was planned as one-way affair
but department spokesman said
1T might run over into tomorrow
Department spokesman said it
was inevitable that two questions
would come up-the possibility OF
free vaccine for children whose
parents cannot afford to pay for
it. and the possibility of Govern
ment controls on distribution if
a satisfactory voluntary plan
cannot be worked out.
Federal officials have dis
counted the need for Govern
ment priorities.
Supply Going to Foundation
Practically all the vaccine now
being produced by six r1fanufac-
turers is going to the National
Foundation for Infantile Paraly-
sis for use in its program for first
and second grade school chill
dren.
At preliminary talks among
some of the conferees yesterday.
it was learned, some scientists re-
ported that it might be possible
to confer some lesser degree of
immunity with smaller doses Of
vaccine.
The new. still-experimenta)
methods were said to differ from
DR.. Salk's recently recommended
plan of giving two shots two to
four weeks apart and then a
booster shot seven months later.
In last years tests, there were
three injections a few weeks
apart.
One private physician who at
tended yesterdays talks said:
THE question arises whether we
should try to give a small per-
centage of immunity to a large
population or a large percentage
of immunity to a smaller popu-
| latiOn."