A Grip on Grippe

The distressful ailments known to laymen as colds, grippe, flu and viral pneumonia make up a spectrum of illnesses for which doctors have long had fancier names but no cures and mostly so-so vaccines. Last week the U.S. Public Health Service announced a breakthrough in the campaign against these assorted "upper respiratory infections": a vaccine that appears to be effective against a common one, Type 3, in the grippe family.

The vaccine was made by the same process as the Salk polio vaccine, using formaldehyde to inactivate the virus. The virus is one of the group that doctors ponderously call adenoidal-pharyngeal-conjunctival (from the tissues it attacks), or APC* for short. This particular APC virus causes sore throat, eye inflammation, and a fever lasting about five days.

The vaccine has given some immunity against the virus infection to 73% of convict-volunteers so far tested. Probable next step: tests this winter on 10,000 Army volunteers. However, a vaccine against only one of the 13 known, closely related viruses would have no value for general prescription use, so the researchers have high hopes that they will soon achieve similar success with two of its kin, Types 4 and 7. Then a polyvalent vaccine would be practicable. But PHS researchers sadly admit that there is still nothing in sight of any earthly use to ward off the common cold.

*Not to be confused with the common analgesic tablets, aspirin-phenacetin-caffeine.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.