LIVE POLIO IRUS VACCINES

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Efficacy-Field Evidence
TABLE 1.
SALK VACCINATION STATUS OF CASES OF PARALYTIC POLIOMYELITIS-1959
SALK STATUS
TOTAL
AREA CASES NONE 3 OR MORE 1-2 UNKNOWN
No. % No. % No. % No. %
Dade County 38 13 34 15 40 10 26 0 0
Florida 144 82 57 34 23 24 17 4 3
Massachusetts 137 51 37 64 47 21 15 1 1
United States 5450 3418 60 928 17
TABLE 2.
SALK VACCINATION STATUS OF FATAL
CASES OF POLIOMYELITIS-1959
SALK STATUS
TOTAL
AREA CASES NONE 3 OR MORE
Dade County 3 1 2
Florida 14 9 5
New Jersey 7 3 4
dividuals and official and voluntary organizations
to advise, participate, or observe, numerous informal
and several formal conferences were held.
After due consideration and on the recommendation
of an expert advisory committee, it was
decided to undertake a large-scale field trial of
oral polio vaccine.
ORGANIZATION OF THE FIELD TRIAL
Sponsorship. The Dade County Community
Polio Program, the name selected for the field
trial, was sponsored by three organizations: the
Dade County Department of Public Health, the
University of Miami School of Medicine, and
the Dade County Medical Association. The
project was carried out with the official approval
of the Florida State Board of Health, the Polio
Advisory Committee and the Board of Governors
of the Florida Medical Association, the Dade
County Osteopathic Medical Association, the
Miami Pediatric Society, and the Dade County
School Board, with the knowledge and counsel
of the U. S. Public Health Service. The field
trial was truly an entire community effort supported
by many individuals, professions, and
organizations. Without the wholehearted support
of the practicing physicians, public health
nurses, school teachers, and the communications
media (press, radio, television) the program
would have been impossible; without the support
of various governmental, health, fraternal and
civic organizations, churches, pharmacists, and
industry, the task would have been much more
difficult.
Publicity. The extensive professional and
public education and publicity program was conducted
by the Dade County Medical Association.
Major emphasis was placed on the fact that
there was no cost to the individual and that no
injections were required. Care was taken not
to detract from the Salk-type vaccine, the only
vaccine that would be available to most of the
American population. The large volume of
highly accurate reporting by press, radio, and
television is a tribute to the public service programs
of the communications media.
Certain features of the Dade County Community
Polio Program require mention.
Age Selection. During recent years, approximately
one half of the reported cases of paralytic
poliomyelitis reported in Dade County have
been in children less than five years of age.
Except for a rare sporadic case in a person over
40 years of age, the remaining 50 per cent of
cases were nearly equally divided between the