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Following the decision to import vaccine from Canada and the United
States, the Minister of Health made other groups eligible for registration.
These included children of six months of age, children up to fifteen years
of age, expectant mothers, general medical practitioners and their families
and those working with infectious poliomyelitis patients in hospitals and
their families. The parents could, if they wished, now have their children
treated by their own doctors. They could also if they wished, insist on
British vaccine being used, though this, of course, would for many entail
delay in the treatment being carried out. Unfortunately difficulties of
production even of the American and Canadian vaccine brought all
arrangements for inoculation against poliomyelitis to a halt late in
February, 1958. The Canadian and the American vaccine that had
been introduced and used in this country had been subjected to safety
tests here as well as in the country of origin. In April the position was
that there was no prospect of the production of British vaccine being
stepped-up sufficiently to meet the demand, nor were there to be available
any American or Canadian supplies which had passed the safety tests in
this country. Because it was so desirable that those prepared to be
inoculated should be treated before the end of June, that is by some
time well ahead of the time that the wave of poliomyelitis incidence
could be expected to rise, on 1st May the Government decided to import
vaccine which had not been subjected to safety tests in this country, this
as a temporary measure to supplement supplies of British vaccine. These
supplies came through steadily, and from that time onward there have
been available adequate supplies of this type of vaccine.
There were about 1,000 children whose parents had indicated their
wish for them to receive British vaccine. In view of the continued
difficulties those preparing British vaccine were experiencing resulting
in a delay far longer probably than those parents had anticipated, all
these parents were approached to find out whether in the circumstances
they wished their children to be treated with an American or Canadian
product or whether they still preferred to wait until their children could
be treated with the British vaccine. All but 300 elected to have the
American or Canadian vaccine. It was not until the very end of the year
that sufficient British vaccine was received to enable even those reduced
numbers to be treated.
Ample supplies of vaccine having been made available, efforts were
concentrated on inoculating as early as possible, the children who had
registered. In fact most of them were given appointments which would
have enabled each of them to have received their two doses of vaccine by
the end of June, and all of them by the middle of July.
Although in most other countries where arrangements were made
for inoculation against poliomyelitis the accepted course of treatment
was three doses, the first two being given at three or four weeks interval,
the third dose some seven to nine months later, the decision in this country
was to concentrate on as many as possible having two doses. In September,
the Government decided that those who had had two doses should be
given an opportunity of having a third dose. At the same time, the scheme
was extended to make all those under the age of twenty-six eligible for
treatment.