Evening star., 1962-09-18
POLIO
Continued From PaEe A-l

Isaid all IL cases involved adults.
Two of the IL cases of con-
firmed Type III polio actually
involved persons aged Is and
I18.
The Type III polio strain was
withheld from use in the United
States long after Types ! and
II doses were licensed. The
Public Health Service released
Type III last spring and stimuli
taneously released an advisory
study recommending the Sabin
oral vaccine for mass immuni-
zation campaigns.
Types !, II and III are the
strains of polio virus that cause
the disease. In the older Salk
vaccine, these viruses are killed.
All three strains are then in
jected in each Salk shot.
In the Sabin vaccine, the
strains are "tamed" or weak
ened," rather than killed. They
must be given in separate doses,
several weeks apart.
Type III is the polio strain
most prevalent in the United
States. Thus, Type LII Sabin
vaccine is the most needed of
the three.
Type II polio has almost
vanished from the, United
States. Type ! is still around.
DR.. Janney believes, in fact.
that the polio cycle is at a stage
now in which Type I may in
crease. He said today that this
is the major reason behind the
Baltimore areas eagerness to
go ahead with use Of Sabin
Type I vaccine in October.
Maryland counties originally
planning campaigns also in
cluded Howard, Hartford and
Carroll.
Publicity Decisive
1t was the publicity sur
rounding IL cases Of con-
firmed Type III polio following
use of Sabin vaccine that was
decisive in canceling the pro-
gram in the Washington area,
A joint statement said there
was no question about the
safety of Type I and Type II
Sabin polio vaccine and that
there was no good medical
reason to postpone doses of
these vaccines. But, the health
officers said, I'VE have had to
consider the effect of the ad-
verse publicity on public ac-
ceptance of the project
We now feel that a consider
able number Of people in the
area who would have come to
the oral polio clinics will not
now come.
I'VE have concluded that we
should defer the program tenn.
porarily until all questions con.
cerning Type III vaccine havI
been resolved"
The statement was signed b!
DR.. Murray Grant, Princ'
; Georges County health office
who is soon to take over a
District health director; Dr
; Frederick C. Heath, acting Dis
trict health director, and d.
william j. Peoples, Mont
gomery County health officer
Financial Loss Minor
: The postponement came afte
months of work to develop
program that would reach a
least 80 per cent Of the resi-
; dents of the areas. Z
: The hundreds Of thousand
: of doses of vaccine had alread
: been ordered, but cancellation
! will not cost the area govern
:. ments any financial penalty,
+ health official said.
The major financial loss
! in publicity materials. TIL
J greatest loss. however, Is tn
) loss of the forward push an,
: the volunteer enthusiasm tina
5 was expected to make tn
, Washington area program
| success.
. In New York, meanwhile, D.
, Albert B. Sabin described a
unwarranted the Public Healtl
Services recommendation tina
, Type III oral polio vaccine b
withheld from adults.
DR.. Sabin, originator Of tn
vaccine, said the recommends
= ton must not be allowed t
interfere with community pro
grams which are our only hop
for complete elimination G
l polio"
Arriving from England on tn
4 liner Queen Mary, DR.. Sabi.
2 told newSmen:
e "The decision is based on
l small number of coincidents
= polio-type illnesses, with n
!, proof in any of these cases tina
D the Type III vaccine has bee.
. lrnrrnn,nciln1n fn,. n,,,r ana nR III