| Show DOCTOR TALI TALK By y JOHN JOAN B. B REMBERT MD M.D. This writer has received the following important me medical ical information information in formation from the committee on the control of oC infectious diseases diseases diseases dis dis- eases eases of the American Academy Academy Academy my of Pediatrics this information information mation will clarify clanCy the general i confusion now existing in the I publics public's mind regarding the use of oC the Salk vaccine or the oral poliomyelitis vaccine Use of type Salk instead of oral polio vaccine has been recommended recommended recommended rec rec- by the American Academy of Pediatrics' Pediatrics Committee Committee Committee Com Com- on the time control of infectious infectious diseases The academy does not recommend recommend rec rec- recommend that oral vaccines be used for routine immunization tion until all three of the oral vaccine types become available available available avail avail- able the pediatricians' pediatricians statement statement state state- ment announced at the academy's academy's m mys my's s international Until this time the continued continued continued con con- I use of the polyvalent type Salk vaccine is mended At present the oral vaccine is manufactured for Cor protection against two types of oC polio but type 3 attenuated oral poliomyelitis poliomyelitis vaccine is not yet avail avail- able If used on individual patient basis the time child specialists staled stated the live polio vaccine loses some of its advantage ov ov- over over over er the Salk type vaccine The only present recommendation for Cor the use of or the type specific oral vaccine for mass immunization immunization immunization is during periods of epidemic epidemic epidemic epi epi- epi- epi demic poliomyelitis where the prevalent virus type is Type 1 or Type 2 2 The infectious diseases com com- committee mittel explained its reasons behind the statement on mass immunization 1 Most ost paralytic polio now occurs in poisons persons who did no not receive the time Salk vaccine and intensive efforts are arc needed to saturate a I community a procedure pro necessary in using oral t types pes 2 In a community experiencing experienc experienc- ing ins an epidemic of polio the simultaneous i o 0 n nit technique offers the best opportunity opportunity opportunity to control the spread of the wild virus 3 The problems of i ing distribution refrigeration o 0 nand n nand and shelf I life e make It expensive to vaccinate one child at a atine time tine with live virus and this approach loses the value of oC the time wide community program The Pediatrics committee reiterated reiterated re re- re- re iterated The liThe child should receive receive receive re re- re- re type Salk vaccine including including ing booster doses until such a time as all three types of oC live attenuated vaccine beco m e available The committee also emphasized emphasized emphasized sized action b by academy members members members mem mem- bers Until the time comes when community wide p pro programs r l' o- o grams can be undertaken with all Ill three types of live attenuated vaccines academy members mem mem- bers are encouraged to use use am and promote the use of the polyvalent vaccine ent type Salk However if their communities tics ties should undertake mass immunization im im- immunization programs with live polio virus the academy urged its members to take an active part in the protection program cooperate with public health authorities and even to take the lead in conducting such safety measures if local authorities are arc not available |
