POLIOMYELITIS VACCINE

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27641, 23 April 1955, Page 8

POLIOMYELITIS VACCINE

Good Prospects For Use In N.Z.

RESEARCH BY ENGLISH COMPANY

(New Zealand Press Association) PALMERSTON N., April 22. " Prospects are good for New Zealand obtaining poliomyelitis vaccine of the type developed by Dr. Jonas Salk in the United States. The vaccine, which has been manufactured in England, may be made available for use in the Dominion sooner than it was thought. Glaxo Laboratories, Ltd., will be ready for full-scale manufacture, on completion of the Medical Research Council’s field trials in England, according to a statement issued by Glaxo Laboratories (New Zealand), Ltd., Palmerston North, today. “Twelve months ago the company decided to undertake poliomyelitis research, and a modern suite of laboratories was especially built for the purpose adjacent to the company’s antibiotics research unit at Sefton Park, Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, England,” the statement says. “Known as the Virus Research Laboratories, the buildings were erected at a cost of more than £lOO,OOO. “The company has manufactured pilot batches of a poliomyelitis vaccine of the type developed by Dr. Jonas Salk. The company has been working in close co-operation with the Medical Research Council on the project, and will be ready for full-scale manufacture on completion of the council’s field trials,” the statement concludes. It is not known how long the Medical Research Council’s trials will take, but it is certain that every aspect of the vaccine’s effect will be gone into thoroughly. It is understood that climatic conditions play some part in the effect of the vaccine.

Before the vaccine is made available in New Zealand it is probable that the Health Department will carry out extensive tests. t