’FLU VACCINE ARRIVES

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28368, 29 August 1957, Page 7

’FLU VACCINE ARRIVES

Hospital Staffs To Be Inoculated Three hundred doses of vaccine against Asian influenza had been received for maternity, nursing and other essential hospital staff on Tuesday and it was hoped that more would arrive shortly, the Medical Superintendent of the Christchurch Public Hospital (Dr. T. Morton) said yesterday. He added that the arrival of further supplies would depend on the demand for the vaccine in Australia, from where it was obtained. But because it took from 10 to 14 days for immunity to develop it might be too late for immunisation to be really effective in preventing the spread of the epidemic. Dr. Morton said. Because of the shortage of supplies of the vaccine only the most essential and indispensable members of hospital staffs would be vaccinated in the meantime. There was sufficient in the present shipment for the staffs of Essex Hospital and the Burwood maternity unit. Among steps taken by private maternity hospitals in Christchurch to guard against further infection is the restriction of visitors to husbands of patients only. Other private hospitals have - decided to keep visitors to a minimum but no restrictions on visiting have been introduced yet at the Christchurch Public Hospital. The District Medical Officer of Health (Dr. A. Douglas) reported yesterday that no further cases of Asian influenza had been notified.