Evening star., 1955-10-20
Moss Polio
InocuIution
PIon Delayed
By, JOHN McKELWAY

~ O2AhAN AtASAAA@ASNS - =
The polio inoculation situation.
apparently at its confusing best.
lis probably on sounder fcunda-
tions than it ever has been, sew.
|eral sources revealed today.
The chief trouble one which
has always been presents that
the vaccine is still in short sup
Iply and, as was indicated yester-
day, will probably continue to
be until the first Of the year.
This came at q meeting of the
Districts Vaccine Advisory Conn
mittee, charged with the resporl-
.sbility of distributing vaccine as
it becomes available. Contrary to
previous reports. a spokesman
for the United States Public
Health Service said production
Iof the vaccine would continue to
be slim for the next two months.
This washed out plans for any
immediate large-scale immuniza-
Ition program engineered by the
Health Department.
Curbed ParaIytic Type
But at the same meeting. DR..
Russell league Of the Public
Health Service said unpublished
data in the hands Of scientists
|evaluating the effect of the vac
cine last summer shows the vac
cine produced marked effective
ness against paralytic polio-and
with only two shots.
This means. doctors explained
today, that the third vaccine
shot originally proposed by DR..
|Salk to come seven months after
the second--can be forgotten for
the time being and particularly
in the face Of the continued
vaccine shortage.
Health Department officials
had hoped to round up enough
vaccine by next month to start
an incubation program in the
S : to 20 : year old age group.
Ideally, this would have given
children the chance to get the
third shot by the end Of school
and before the polio season in
July.
!. Supply Due Shortly
Several sources said today it
appears vaccine will be in pienti-
'fui supply shortly after the first
Iof the year ar-allowing school In
lpculation programs to proceed,
but on the basis of only two
shots.
New polio cases in the Nation
lare dWindling. the Public Health
Service reported today. There.
were S84 new cases reported last
week, smallest number in six
years for the comparable weeks.
1t was q is per cent drop from
the preceding week.
One new case was reported In
the District. compared with four
a year ago. Maryland had II
new cases, compared with 10 q
year ego. and Virginia had six,
compared with 26 for the same
week in 1854.
Priority Extension Awaited
Apparently, there is no great
demand for the vaccine at the
moment and doctors have been,
waiting, particularly in the Dis
trict, for an extension of the
priority age groups to include
those children below five. It is
estimated that the highest in
cidence Of paralytic polio locally
is in this age group and pre-
viously. because Of the national
priority OF 5-to-9. doctors had
refrained from giving shots to
the younger children.
But private physicians. like the
Health Department. are also in
short supply Of the vaccine: Ap-
parently, according to Drs.
George Maksim and Preston A..
McLendon, representing the Dis
trict Medical Society, private
physicians plan to begin giving
the vaccine as it comes along.
On the other hand. to start q
school program or one in the
departments IA pre-school
clinics, health officials feel they
would have to stockpile the vac
cine until they could move in
with enough vaccine to cover the
target" with first shots. The
mechanics Of a school program
are not conducive to piecemeal
injections, they feel.
Most to Private Practice
So far, private doctors here
have received 36.564 shots of the
vaccine while the Health Depart
ment has on hand 9,909 shots Of
vaccine. Under a decision yes
terday--subject to change-the
Health Department will receive
go per cent of future vaccine
shipments and the rest will go
out in private channels.
The District has $83,840---
allocated by Congress - with
which to purchase vaccine. This
vaccine, when administered by
the Health Department, would
be free to parents. Privately.
physicians have been asked by
the local medical society not to
above IS per shot.
Presumably, parents wishing
to have their children receive
free shots must wait until next
year when the school program
gets going.
Health officials concerned with
school vaccination problems
pointed out yesterday there is a
chance the District may not be
able to spend the $SS,840 by
February 1.-THE date set by
Congress on which the money
must be obligated. To obligate
5he money. another split between
she department and the private
doctors would have to be ar
it was said.
And, as several doctors point
I'd out today, there is no point
N any rush TO get the vaccine