IN REPLY REFER TO

FILE NO.

DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE

PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
WASHINGTON 285, D.C.

 

BUREAU OF STATE SERVICES

JUL 18 1987

Hon, John E, Fogarty
House of Representatives

Dear Mr. Fogarty:

This is in reply to your letter of July 11, 1957, to Mr. Sam
Kimble relating to an article in the Providence Journal of July 9,
1957, on the subject of Salk polio vaccine.

The clipping begins with a reference to the vaccine shortage,
which is nationwide in scope. During the first several months of: this
year, there was a gratifying increase in the demand for Salk vaccine,
and since about mid-March the reserve supply has been exhausted and the
demand has exceeded the amount being produced, All licensed manuface-
turers are producing vaccine and it is being released as fast as the
two essentials of safety and potency can be assured, The Public Health
Service testing of the vaccine is done concurrently with the tests
performed by the manufacturers. Hence, we are in a position to approve
the release of vaccine without delay if all the tests show that the
vaccine meets potency and safety standards.

The present shortage is due not only to the increase in demand,
but also to technical difficulties in the manufacturing process, At
this time, as indicated in a recent press release by the company, the
Eli Lilly Company (one of the largest suppliers) is having technical
difficulties with their potency testing. Both the manufacturer and
the Public Health Service are doing everything possible to overcome this
problem, In no sense is the shortage a result of delays in testing by
anyone involved.

The interstate distribution of vaccine is determined by the
manufacturers, The American Medical Association, the National Foundation
for Infantile Paralysis, the Public Health Service, and the manufacturers
are engaged in a cooperative program of information exchange, As a part
of this program, we have reported acute shortages to the manufacturers
for their consideration,

The article you have enclosed misinterprets some of the information
which the Public Health Service has reported to interested groups. At one
point in June, we did report that there was an inventory of 10,300,000 cc.
of vaccine. This includes vaccine unshipped by manufacturers as well as
wo 2 «

vaccine awaiting use by health agencies and private physicians, This
inventory now stands at 7,500,000 cc, indicating that the vaccine is being
used as promptly as it becomes available consistent with the necessity for
maintaining a supply in the distribution pipelines We also have information
that the vaccine manufacturers have orders in excess of 11,000,000 cce of
vaccine which they have not yet been able to fill.

Please feel free to write for any further information,
Sincerely yours,

Assistant Surgeon General
Chief, Bureau of State Services