Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-07-22
Sa|k Vaccine
Supplies Ready
For Adults Soon
BY CHARLES G. BROOKS

able 10 OBTAIN Salk polio vac
zine. a District Health Depart
nent official predicted yester-
day.
DR.. Grace Stone, head of the
departments school health serv-
ices, told The Star that lone
large release of the vaccine" to
the District now should put doc
tors in a position to begin i'm
munizing adults and entire fam
lilies. At present the vaccine is
administered only to minors
from 6 months to 20 years Of
age.
Although polio strikes young
sters and teen-agers primarily,
many cases have been reported
among persons in the 20s and
early 30s. The supply is appar-
emily reaching such a plentiful
proportion that it is felt by doc
tors that all persons in the sus-
ceptible age group could be vac
clnated II they wish.
Federal Law Cited
BY Federal law. vaccine bought
with Government funds and dis
tributed to various health de-
partmentS may be given to per-
sons under 20 years only.
DR.. Stone pointed out, however.
that private physicians using
vaccine not purchased with
Federal funds may give it to
Iinoculate any aged person they
see fit. They have, however, CO.
operated with the overall pro-
gram and held to the age limits
set by the health officials and the
District Medical Society's Ad-
visory Committee on PoliomylitiS.
Only in isolated instances of
polio outbreaks has the vaccine,
which up until recently was very
scarce, been given to adults. This
occurred not long ago in a COM
munity on the Eastern Shore of
Maryland.
District Supply Greater
DR.. Stone pointed out that in
the District the supply of the
vaccine has become a little
greater than the demand for the
first time" She declared that
where there is excellent coverage
of minors and vaccine is left
over, then it is probable that
adults will be able to obtain it.
More than 10000 children in
the District have been given
their first shots, and many of
those have received their second
shots. DR.. Stone said.
She did not want to say, how
ever, just when and If the Health
Department would start giving
the third booster NEGOTIATIONS,
pointing out that for most chill
dren the end of the required
seven-month to year waiting
period is some time away She
added there are also financial
considerations because her de-
Ipartment's budget has been cut
by Congress.
She declared that the Health
Department, in view of the sue
Icessful two-shot program in this
group, hopes to be able to go
ahead with the mass incubation
of junior and senior high school
pupils here this fall.
From the nearby counties come
varying reports. DR.. william j.
Peoples. Montgomery County
Health Officer, agrees that adults
will soon be able to get polio
vaccine shots. He predicts this
will be the case by January /,
1857.
How long health departments
will be administering shots pur-
chased through Federal funds is
an open question, DR.. Peoples
said. He speculated, however,
that the law. which expires June
80, 1857. might not be renewed.
At that point. because of the
probability that there will be a
more-than-adequate supply of
polio vaccine, it will not be
needed, he Speculated.
Montgomery County. Airing
ton County and Alexandria have
given up clinics for the admin
iStration of the vaccineS except
in some cases, where individ-
ualS request it. Fairfax and
Prince Georges Counties, how
ever, are still holding clinics.
So is the District. DR.. Stone
pointed out that the Weightman
Clinic. Twenty-third and M
streets NV. is open for this
purpose from 1890 pm. to 2:30
pm. Mondays through Fridays.