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Secretary 103 DUEW 5246 HEW Bldg HUNTER--EX 3-6300 Ext. 3178 ROSS -Ext. 2125 U. S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE Public Health Service Bethesda, Maryland the FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Saturday, April 30, 1955 May HEW-C15 The Public Health Service, U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, made public late today a summary of conclusions and recommendations of an advisory group of experts in the fields of poliomyelitis and immunology which has just concluded a two-day meeting at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. The meeting was called by Surgeon General Leonard A. Scheele to advise on an investigation of the poliomyelitis vaccine produced by the Cutter Laboratories of Berkeley, California, which was withdrawn from distribution this week. In addition to the consulting group and staff members of the Public Health Service, today's meeting included technical representatives of the six pharma- ceutical houses manufacturing the vaccine. Dr. Scheele said they were included so that the Service might benefit from their special knowledge regarding the production and distribution of vaccine. In arriving at its conclusions and recommendations, the group was guided by last minute data obtained by telephone from health officials in various parts of the country concerning cases of paralytic poliomyelitis occurring among children who have been vaccinated. As of Noon Saturday, the number of cases reported to the Public Health Service was as follows: California, 16; Idaho, 8; Louisiana, 2; Illinois, 1; Colorado, 1; and Georgia, 1. (More)

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