Population Genetics Applied to Live Poliovirus Vaccine

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Abstract
From the work of the past 3 years it is recognized that reversions of live poliovaccine do occur, and thus the vaccine should be used in communities to minimize any potential hazard. It would seem that the surest way to initiate the use of live virus vaccine in this country would be on a mass basis so that the entire population in a community receives the vaccine virus simultaneously, thus lessening the number of susceptibles who might become infected with reverted virus. At the minimum, all members of a family should be vaccinated simultaneously. Community vaccination should be done in a period of the year when the prevalence of entero-viruses is at a minimum, to avoid blocking of vaccine takes by viral interference. By application of the newer findings concerning the reactions of magnesium ions with viruses, it is now possible to eliminate undesirable adventitious viral populations from live poliovirus vaccine and at the same time stabilize the vaccine so that it can be stored without freezing and used for weeks in the field without refrigeration. Vaccine stabilized by cations has proven to be fully potent as an immunizing agent.