Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-13
ShortagePeri|s
Sa|k Program
In D. {. Schools
Lack of Vaccine
And Funds to Cost
Pupils Third Shot

A critical shortage of vaccine
coupled with lack of funds to-
day left District health authori-
ties facing the possibility that
some $4,000 school children will
not get their third polio shot
next month.
The vaccine shortage. Nation
wide in scope. finds the District
with only 10000 shots on hand.
These shots DR.. Grace Stone,
in charge of the local program
said, have been allotted to pre-
school children and pregnant
women.
1--WE had to make a decision"
DR.. Stone explained. With
what we have on hand it was
either the pre-school children,
the $4,000 school children or the
adults.
1--WE decided to reserve the
10000 shots for pre-schoolers.
since we have found the greatest
incidence of polio among them.
At any rate, the supply on hand
would only be a drop in the
bucket for the other groups"
DR.. Stone said.
Adding to the Districts polio
shot program troubles is the lack
of funds, DR.. Stone said $57, 900
will be needed to pay for the
vaccine in the open market if
the third and last shot is to be
given Sabotage youngsters.
No Funds Set Aside
There is no money on hand
earmarked specifically for Salk
vaccine. Unless some fiscal Jug
Cling is done to raise it no free
shots will be given the IS. 900 stu
dents when the third injection
period falls due in April and
May.
Since the beginning of the
program in 1855 all participant
ing pre-school and school chill
dren have received two free shots.
None other than those taken to
private physicians has received
a third.
Cause of the shortage of vac
cine has been attributed to
stepped-up campaigns by the
American Medical Association,
local health agencies and the
National Association for Infantile
Paralysis to get everyone under
40 inoculated.
Meanwhile, President Eisen-
hower'S revised District budget,
submitted to a House Appro,1Ei1
tons Subcommittee Yesterday,
trimmed $4,000 from the Dis
trict's public health budget. In
cluded was S40.939 cut from the
polio program.
While polio shots are given
free to school children. DR.. Stone
declared. the vaccine must be
purchased in the open market
from taxpayers funds.
DR.. Leroy E. Burney. Public
Health Service surgeon general,
said today the Salk vaccine Sit
uation has frightened eonsid-
erably"
Stocks Are Waning
He said he was pleased" with
the public response that has vir-
tually cleaned out suppliers'
shelves. Some communities, he
added, are low on Salk shots.
Others will have continued diffi-
Guilty in obtaining them, DR..
Burney declared.
For a while. at least, he con-
tinued, manufacturers will not
be able to meet the demand.
Whether this shortage can be
OFIANOtAlC ny Vic AHiU~ Nldy
deadline for the District school
pupils third shot is problemati-
cal.
Statistics released by Dr..
Burney indicate 1t will be nip
and tuck battle.
A shortage exists today de-
spite the fact that the pharma-
ceutical firms manufacturing
Salk vaccine are pushing pro-
duction. During the first two
months of this year 16.5 million
shots were turned out COM
pared 10 the 5 million shots
manufactured in December Of
1856.
Ironically. prior to the ma
tional drives for adult inocula-
ton pushed by President Eisen-
hover. public apathy was so
great the District Health De-
partment was urging adults to
take shots.