Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1958-05-08
Polio Fiosco


CANCELLATION of the scheduled mass
polio clinic in Rockville will come as
blow not only to the more than 1000 persons
who had signed up for the Salk shots but I'M
counted others who, without reservations,
would have shown up for a shot if the event
had been held.
In calling it off, the Rockville Junior
Women's Club which was sponsoring the
event, acted wisely. 1t would have been UNI
thinkable to persist in such public health
and medical venture in defiance of firm OPP
position from both the county health depart
ment and the county medical society. Indeed,
the women were powerless! Three physi-
clans who had agreed to supervise the clinic
hastily withdrew their offer after medical
authorities indicated disapproval
Individuals who frown on the health de-
partment and medical society's veto of the
affair should not be too quick to condemn.
There can be no quarrel with the view of
medical men that the best possible condition
for effective medical treatment is the per-
sonas relationship which exists between
physician and patient during individual con-
sultation, There is some question, however,
whether this philosophy can be applied logic
ally to mass clinic held for the purpose of
immunizing the public against the scourge
of polio.
Further, it is difficult to understand the
action of county medical authorities in view
of the stand repeatedly taken by the Amer
lean Medical Association which, according to
a statement put out by the National Foun-
dation for Infantile Paralysis, took the posi-
ton that local medical groups should
initiate or support such mass polio clinics.
Nor did it make public understanding
easier when it was announced only last
Monday in the District that many public
schools would be used there for mass polio
clinics in program conducted by the Dis
trict Health Department in cooperation with
the District Medical Society.
The forced cancellation of the event
adds up to incredibly bad public relations for
county physicians in any event There are
some who will unfairly accuse the doctors
of being motivated by a fear that they
would lose fees. The fee at the scheduled
clinic was to have been ST per individual
while the DOCTORS when the Salk vaccine be-
came available, agreed to charge not more
than SIS per shot,
Both the doctors and the health depart
ment emphasize - and truthfully - that no
county resident need go without Salls shot
for lack of the fee. All anyone has to do is
tell his doctor or the health department that
ne can't afford one and he will get it free.
Hence, they reason, there is no need for a
mass polio clinic.
This, it seems to us, is where their
reasoning breaks down. Such program, it
is true, guarantees that the INDECENT popula-
ton of the county will be- well immunized
This approach, however, overlooks the fact
that many middle or lower middle class fami-
lies honestly feel they cannot afford the
luxury of Salk shot and they are too proud
to ask for free one or even reduction in
the doctors fee. That is why, we believe
that in matter of just few days the Jun
Tor Woman's Club, with little effort on their
part, received more than 1000 registration
forms requesting the 81 Shots
AS usual, when an unfortunate situation
arises, blame for it viii be assessed and it is
apparent that the Junior Woman's Club
must assume part of the blame. They should
have known that such program could not
possibly be held without the formal clearly
stated approval of health department, or the
medical society - or both. And they had
neither, although in all fairness to the women
they did consult the health officer and he
did not tell them their clinic should not be
held.
A highly-placed, conscientious county
official observed since the clinic controversy
arose that it might prove one thing, depend
ing on the number of persons who responded
to the mass clinic opportunity, and that
would be whether medical leaders have
fallen down somewhere along the line in the
Salk immunization program. We think the
official now has an answer - and rather
emphatic one at that