319 



He described consultations with various medical associations and their 

 assistance in determining priority age groups in carrying out the field 

 test. He also detailed the NFIP program for distributing vaccme to 

 all the Nation's first and second graders. He judged the States to have 

 ample exj^erience and administrative machinery to meet NFIP goals. 

 He did not comment on the capability of PHS distribution 

 mechanisms; also, he said NFIP would not accept Federal funds to 

 purchase vaccine to carry out its program, but would accept vaccine 

 bought by the Federal Govermnent and given to the NFIP to 

 distribute.^" 



Further support of a voluntary program was expressed in com- 

 munications from the American Drug Manufacturers" Association 

 and the American Medical Association. 



The bulk of testimony supporting the Democratic proposals for 

 greater Federal control of the purchase and distribution of the vaccine 

 came from legislators who had introduced bills supporting this posi- 

 tion and from George Meany, president of the American Federation 

 of Labor. He said : 



* * * We are concerned that the first announcements listing the representa- 

 tives who are to be invited [to the HEW Advisory Committee] appear to include 

 only professional and business groups and not the people who are most con- 

 cerned — the parents of the children of America. * * * The matter of distributing 

 the vaccine presents basic economic, social, and humanitarian problems which 

 are not within the special competence of the medical profession and the phar- 

 maceutical industry. The American Federation of Labor calls upon the Presi- 

 dent * * * to broaden the invitations to the conference * * *. 



* * * No American child should go without [the vaccine] because his parents 

 have low income, or live in a place with few doctors * * *. To achieve these 

 ends an official national policy is necessary, and if any such policy is to be 

 effective, a substantial part of the supply of the Salk vaccine must be pur- 

 chased and distributed through the public health agencies.^^ 



III. The Safety and Efficacy Aspects of the Vaccine 



Only one bill, and that indirectly, addressed the questions of safety 

 and efficacy of the vaccine. These questions were recognized as both 

 gennane and formidable.^- The legislators appeared divided as to 

 whether to tackle such technical issues. 



On May 6, Kepresentative Joseph P. O'Hara asked : 



Is it the responsibility of this committee and within our jurisdiction to deter- 

 mine whether this is a good product or not or are we concerned solely with the 

 matter of controlling its distribution to assure its getting to the people who need 

 it regardless of their financial status? 



Representative Abraham Multer assured him that it should be the 

 responsibility of the committee to consider all problems : 



* * * whatever committee gets the bill must consider all the problems involved. 

 These are necessarily related problems. 



Representative Patman, the committee chairman, disagreed: 



'^° Ibid., pp. 102-121, especially pp. 113-116. 



SI Ibid., p. 122. 



^- At that time. In the Congress, the issue of distribution method of the vaccine was 

 foremost, and questions of efficacy and safety were considered secondary. At a later date, 

 and on another medical issue, this order of priority was reversed. See ch. 14 on the 

 Thalidomide case, which dramatized the possible hazardous consequences of premature 

 wholesale distribution of a new medication. 



