Vaccinations for Children

City Health Commissioner Dr. Charles Irvin Approves Salk Vaccine for Roanoke, Va.

4/12/1955

Roanoke City Health Commissioner Dr. Charles Irvin condones administration of the Salk polio vaccine to all first and second graders.

Health Care Professionals Give Roanoke Children Salk Vaccine Shots

4/25/1955

Medical professionals innoculate first and second graders at the beginning of Roanoke County's immunization program.

Anchor Scripts

Anchor script text: (((NEGATIVE FILM)))) In Roanoke County - first and second-grade school children started receiving Salk Polio Vaccine shots today. (Start film.) It took only 12 minutes to inoculate the first 86 children who came into the clinic set up at West Salem School. (Show film.) General shot scenes - Children were brought to the clinic by bus; as was done in Roanoke City last week. All told, about 800 children will be vaccinated today and health authorities expect about 2,400 children will receive the new, wonder vaccine after closing time on Wednesday. Most of today's children were from the west end of Roanoke County and all of them took the shot pretty well; however, there were a few rather surprised and agonized expressions as these films - taken by WSLS-TV Cameraman John Gilbert - will attest to. page two - salk polio Roanoke County was a week behind Roanoke in starting its inoculation series, since several shifts in plans were occasioned by the on-again, off-again arrival of the necessary vaccine. Other sections of the State are starting their inoculations this week, too. For instance, in Franklin County, inoculations for the children eligible to receive them now will begin tomorrow at the Health Center in Rocky Mount. And Bedford County gets its mass immunization program against polio underway on Wednesday when children will be vaccinated at Moneta High School; Liberty Academy will be used on Thursday and Boonsboro High School on Friday. Although these scenes were shot in the County this morning, they'll pretty well apply to any locality in which the vaccine is being administered. Lynchburg And similar scenes were recorded on film by Esso correspondent George Smith in Lynchburg. These children got their shots at Peakland School in the Hill City. Other shots were given at Garland-Rhoads School. These scene was practically the same as in other localities as the kids were ushered up to the needle. Brave hearts often give way to childhood fear as the instrument looms large in little eyes. Some 2,000 Lynchburg small fry will have gotten the vaccine before the first session ends. Dr. Edwin A Harper, and Nurse Grace Cunningham were kept busy administering the vaccine today. It was announced Friday that by January first, there will be enough of the wonder serum to vaccinate to cover one hundred per cent of the population from the ages of one through nineteen in the United States.

Roanoke Citizens Give Opinions on New Polio Vaccine

4/12/1955

WSLS-TV reporter conducts man-on-the-street interviews in downtown Roanoke, Va., concerning the Salk vaccine for polio.

Anchor Script

Anchor script text: Here in Roanoke----the distributing center for most southwest Virginia counties-----City Health Commissioner Doctor Charles Irvin, says he hopes to start school innoculations shortly.. Each child of the first ans second grade level would receive the shots. Physicians will also administer the vaccine provately for other ages. (start film) Dr. Irvin---in a special interview---this morning had this to say about the vaccine. (show SOF) SOUND UP FOR IRVIN (and let film roll) back to tom And what does the average parent think of the findings of the evaluating team? Well, here are the answers. (show SOF) SOUND UP FOR FOUR STATEMENTS (back to tom but let film roll-positive) The tests are the result of along series of tests and experiments and compilation of statistics. (show film) Doctors from Southwest Virginia are at this minute viewing a more complete report on the effectiveness of the vaccine in a closed circuit telecast arranged by this station. The TV report will end at seven, and more reaction from physicians may be forthcoming tonight and tomorrow.