SALK POLIO VACCINE

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27993, 13 June 1956, Page 13

SALK POLIO VACCINE

Effective Use In America

CHICAGO. June 11

The Salk vaccine has been found to produce full immunity to poliomyelitis crippling in 99.98 per cent, of cases where three doses are administered. and there is evidence that it might prevent the disease altogether, said Dr. Jonas Salk today.

Dr. Salk, the discoverer of the vaccine. told the American Medical Association that in a test group of 4382. Pittsburgh school children the triple dose failed to supply complete protection to only one. Dr. Salk said it was “not unrealistic” to hope that full immunisation against poliomyelitis would be achieved. The hope might lie in reducing the number of carriers of the disease in the population rather than in the number vaccinated, he said. There already was evidence the vaccine would reduce the number of carriers. , Dr. Leonard Steele. Surgeon-General of the United States Public Health Service, reported there were 75 per cent, fewer cases of poliomyelitis among children inoculated with the Salk vaccine last year than among unvaccinated children. He said the attack rate was 6.3 per 100.000 in vaccinated chijfiren. most of whom had onlv one inoculation, and 29.2 per 100.000 in unvaccinated children.