EVALUATION OF RED CROSS GAMMA GLOBULIN AS A PROPHYLACTIC AGENT FOR POLIOMYELITIS
1. PLAN OF CONTROLLED FIELD TESTS AND RESULTS OF 1951 PILOT STUDY IN UTAH
- William McD. Hammon, M.D., Dr.P.H.;
- Lewis L. Coriell, M.D., Ph.D.;
- Joseph Stokes Jr., M.D.
- Pittsburgh; Camden, N.J.; Philadelphia
- From the Department of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh; Director of Project, and Professor and Head of Department of Epidemiology and Microbiology (Dr. Hammon); Deputy Director of Project and Director, Camden Municipal Hospital for Contagious Diseases and Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania (Dr. Coriell); Consultant of Project and Physician-in-Chief, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania (Dr. Stokes).
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
Excerpt
The principal purpose of the experiment described in this and subsequent papers of the series was to determine whether gamma globulin, as prepared for and furnished by the American National Red Cross for measles prophylaxis, would protect against the paralytic manifestations of poliomyelitis when administered in reasonable dosage before the onset of illness. A secondary purpose was to determine, if protection were afforded, the duration of protection in the dosage selected for the experiment. From this, based on half life studies of gamma globulin in the childhood age group, the dosage suitable for any period of protection desired could be calculated. Another secondary purpose was to determine whether gamma globulin would permit or interfere with inapparent or milder types of nonparalyzing clinical infection and the subsequent development of active immunity. This question had considerable significance, for if harmless infection and subsequent active immunity were prevented, gamma globulin would have a
Footnotes
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This study was aided by a grant from the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, Inc.
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Owing to lack of space, acknowledgments to the organizations, employed personnel, and volunteers who participated in the study will appear only in the authors' reprints.
