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Show INFANTILE PARALYSIS No Community Is Safe From Polio Epidemic Areas that have been free of infantile in-fantile paralysis outbreaks for a number of years may be more vulnerable vul-nerable to the disease than those with recent epidemic experience. Dr. Thomas Parran, surgeon general gen-eral of the U. S. public health service, serv-ice, recently stated. Discussing "cycles of epidemics" in the June issue of Hospitals magazine, mag-azine, official pub- for the treatment of polio, including includ-ing hospitals which normally do not accept patients suffering with contagious diseases, and he added: "Such pre-cpidemic planning is necessary if adequate care Is to be given to all who contract the disease. Under the guidance of those officials charged with the community's commu-nity's health and with the substantial substan-tial support of the National Foundation Founda-tion for Infantile Paralysis and its local chapters, every community in ! the United States can be prepared to meet epidemics of poliomyelitis without fear or panic." lication of the I American Hospitals I association, Dr. ! Parran said such theorizing had no scientific basis but was founded on presumptive evidence, evi-dence, adding: "Many observers observ-ers have theorized that as an epidem- jr- parran ic spreads throughout through-out the community, it reduces the number of susceptible individuals to a point where the epidemic can no longer maintain itself. Until a new group of potential victims grow up, which may be from four to six years, that community should be less vulnerable to attack." Dr. Parran said there was danger dan-ger in "relying too strongly on this theory" since recently exposed areas may be 'lulled into a feeling feel-ing of false security" while localities locali-ties which have been free of the disease for several years "may become unduly alarmed." "The safest procedure by far," he advised, "is for all communities to prepare for epidemics." Dr. Parran's article in the AHA magazine was one of 10 on infantile infan-tile paralysis timed to reach more than 3.500 member hospitals throughout the country before onset on-set of the polio epidemic season, usually ranging from late June to September. The other articles provide information in-formation on methods of treatment, organization of community resources, re-sources, the key position of the general gen-eral hospital in the over-all care of poliomyelitis patients, and the role of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis in financing polio treatment at general hospitals. Dr. Parran said that all communities communi-ties should inventory their facilities |
