Milford chronicle., 1957-07-26
SaIk Clinics May
Be Resumed In Aug.
1t Is. Believed A Supply OF Vac.
cine win Be Available

Although no recent cOnfirma-
tion has been received from the
Office of the U. S. Surgeon Cen
eral, the State Board of Health at
Dover is expecting shipment of
Delaware's allotment of Salk vac
cine for resumption of public polio
clinics for adults sometime in
August, it was disclosed Wednes-
day.
In the absence 5f Dr. Floyd l.
Hudson, executive secretary of the
State Board of Health, a spokes-
man revealed that the state has
been getting "dribbles" of vaccine
since the supply was suddenly cut
off in April because of a national
shortage
I'VE are accepting all they will
allow us" it was said, "and trying
20 build up a supply to start up the
clinics again"
1t was pointed out that small
amounts of the vaccine are being
used in public health baby clinics,
but for the most part it is being
Kept in reserve.
DR.. Charles II. Banning, city
lealth commissioner, restated pre-
yiOus assurances of medical au-
thOrities that the delay in the Sc
ries of shots poses no danger to
hose who received one or two shots
IN the spring.
The main concern of state health
and medical officials seems to be
that the lapse of time may result
n a loss of public interest in the
lnOculation program which was
started on March and went ahead
full steam until April 9 when the
malt in the supply necessitated
pOstponement.
During the five-week period
when daily clinics were being held
throughout the state, as estimated
$4,000 Delawareans got their first
shots. The series had gone into
its second phase a week before the
program was temporarily halted
and records of clinics held during
that week indicated that virtually
all those who had their first shots
returned for their second.
From this it is assumed that up
wards of 10000 in the state between
the ages of 20 and 40 have com
pleted two-thirds of the series
while approximately $4,000 to 5O,-
900 have adequate protection
against the disease with only one
shot.
Clinic heads and attendants have
pointed out that the accurate de-
termination of first, second and
third shots is difficult since some
who attended the public sessions
had had previous inoculations from
private physicians. The rough fig
ure also does not include the chill
dren inoculated in the school pro-
gram which was completed in May. |
Delaware's order for completion
Of the second phase of 2O-4O ino-
program is $4,000 ccs., or
enough to give $4,000 shots.
Meanwhile, DR.. Benning noted |
that Delaware's two cases of polio |
so far this year constitute an en-
cOuraging sign that Salk vaccine |
has been effective. At this time |
last year there were seven cases
n the state.
DR.. Benning also pointed out
that in addition to reducing the
number of polio cases throughout |
the nation. the Salk vaccine has
weakened the effect of the disease
when it does strike. On a national |
scale, paralytic polio is definitely
on the decline. Both of Delaware's |
1857 cases are nOn-paralytic. The
first, reported on March Is, was a
40-year-old Sussex County woman
who had not been inOculated. The
second, reported on July 4, was a
New Castle County boy who had
received two out of three Salk
Both have been re-
leased from the hospital.