Controls On Export Of Salk Poliomyelitis Vaccine

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27634, 15 April 1955, Page 13

Controls On Export Of Salk Poliomyelitis Vaccine

4 . (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9 p.m.) WASHINGTON, April 13. The United States Government today imposed controls on the export of the new poliomyelitis vaccine discovered by Dr. Jonas Salk. The Department of Commerce said that the controls would remain in effect until production was adequate to meet the expected domestic and foreign demand. The action followed Government approval of the new vaccine. The Secretary of Health (Mrs Oveta Culp Hobby) yesterday signed licences which gave permission to release the vaccine to the general public. The Department of Commerce said that the Salk vaccine had been added to the list of commodities requiring valid, dated licences for shipment to any country,except Canada.

A spokesman said it was impossible at present to determine when the export controls would be lifted. Supplies of the vaccine are not expected to be sent to Canada because oil the commitments of the manufacturers to the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis and to doctors in private practice in the United States. * Several countries have expressed interest in getting the vaccine. But researchers in Europe say the Salk vaccine may not be the proper type for European countries because it may not prove to be as safe and potent there as in the United States. They said that poliomyelitis viruses varied in different areas. Tons of the Salk vaccine are *being rushed to points throughout the. United States today and the public health authorities plan to begin inoculating the first of 57,000.000 American children almost immediately. Many States and communities have announced plans to begin inoculating first and second grade school children as soon as the vaccine arrives.

Friday was selected as the opening day in parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Mexico. The National Foundation for Infatile Paralysis said it hoped that 57,000,000 children would receive free inoculations before the end of the summer.

The foundation estimated that 54,000,000 cubic centimetres of vaccine were available now and that manufacturers would produce another 60,000,000 cubic centimetres by June 1. Under the plan for three inoculations, this would be sufficient to inoculate 38,000,000 persons. But under Dr. Salk’s theory that two inoculations, spaced four weeks apart, would be sufficient to provide immunisation through the summer, an additional 19,000,000 persons could be inoculated. Dr. Salk recommended that the third inoculation should be taken seven months after the second.

Preventing Black Market Senator Lister Hill (Democrat, Alabama) suggested to Mrs Hobby today that President Eisenhower should call a national conference to prevent any black market in the vaccine. He raised the matter while Mrs Hobby was giving evidence before a Senate subcommittee. He said he was “disquieted” by talk from experts of a possibility that “selfish individuals” might pay any price for vaccine they did not need.

He said it would be tragic if a single child should be crippled or die because “some adult had, for purposes of greed, decided to build a black market in the Salk vaccine.” He said a White House conference would dramatise some of the problems involved.

Mrs Hobby said the idea had merit, but did not give it immediate endorsement, saying she doubted whether a black market would develop. She said that proper distribution of the vaccine was “on the President’s conscience.

“I can assure you that every young child will get it in preference to an older person,” she said. Federal health officials said thqt there were no present plans for government controls over distribution of the vaccine.

They said a conference of State health officers, doctors, drug makers and the scientists who developed the vaccine would be for the purpose of planning voluntary methods of distribution and use.