Evening star., 1955-07-28
Clinics Begin
GIobuIin Shots
To Check Polio
Fuirfox Tukes Action
After Disease
Strikes Two Adults

tween the ages of six months and
six years lined up for the first
gamma globulin emergency clinic
today as physicians. haStened to
stem the spread of polio which
already has reached record pro-
portions in the county.
Gamma globulin clinics are
being held today through August
to give children In the young
age group temporary protection
against the dread disease. The
injection, a derivative of human
blood. affords six weeks protec-
Ition within one week after it is
given.
Enough gamma globulin has
been made available to the
county through the National
Foundation for Infantile Paraly-
sis to give injections to $4,000
youngsters. County doctors are
donating their services to con-
duct the daily clinics.
| Two New Gases
The county's 21st and 22d
polio cases were reported yester-
day. Only one case had been
reported by this time last year
The 21st case is a 29-year-old
mother of three from the $500
block of Beacon lane, Falls
lChurch. The 22d case is a 29-
year-old man from Hummer
road, near ~Annandale. Both are
In District General Hospital. DR..
Harold Kennedy, county health
officer, said the seriousness of
the two cases had not yet been
determined.
DR.. Kennedy believes the num-
ber of polio cases would be at
least is greater if some children
had not received Salk polio vac
cine this year and last. About
1000 children in the second
grade received three Salk injec-
tions In a test of the vaccine last
year, and $4,000 first, second and
third-graders received their first
Salk injections this year before
use Of the vaccine was discon-
tinued for the summer by the
State.
Two polio cases occurred in
children shortly after receiving
their first Salk shots this year.
Health officials said the vaccine
had not had time to develop
any immunity, and only slight
immunity eventually is produced
by the first shot.
Used Since so
Gamma globulin, used also in
the treatment of measles and
infectious hepatitis, has been
available for use against polio
since 1852.
At that time some $4,000 chill
dren were injected with the
serum, manufactured by pool
ing human blood. A scientific
report brought forth at that
time said the blood fraction had
been found to be a weapon
against the paralytic effects of
polio-but only for a period of
from four to six weeks.
Since that time, a controversy
throughout the medical profess
sion has gone on over the use
Of gamma globulin against polio.
There are those who maintain
GG's effectiveness has never been
adequately demonstrated. Other
authorities maintain the serum
does temper paralytic polio-if
injected into an individual be-
fore polio strikes.
Because Of the unpredictable
tactics of polio, health officials
have pointed out, 1t Is impos-
sible to know when an individ-
ual should receive gamma glo-
bulin. that is, get it in time. Often
when a polio epidemic appears
in a community, the threat has
passed by the time gamma glo-
bulin is given. A subsequent drop
in the incidence of the disease,
therefore, could never be attrib-
uted either to the blood serum
or the strange ways of polio, doc
tors have maintained.
Salk Move in Prospect
The Executive Committee of
the Fairfax Medical Society
plans to meet in the next few
days to consider requesting
State permission to give the
second Salk injections because
Of the high rate of polio in the
county.
DR.. Kennedy, meanwhile, an
next weeks schedule
for the gamma globulin clinics. |
A list Of the first four clinics
today through Sunday, was car
ried in The Star on Tues
Delegates