IV. Public Education Prior to Vaccine Administration ‡

One of the principal objectives of the Middletown Oral Poliovirus Vaccine Program was to achieve as close to 100 per cent vaccination of the selected age group as possible. We had hoped also to be able to determine whether the oral vaccine, because of its simpler and pleasanter mode of administration , would be accepted by families who had rejected or had been indifferent to Salk-type vaccine. However, since a high proportion of Middletown children had received the latter, it was clear from the beginning that any conclusion on this second point would be tentative because of the very small numbers involved. In any event, a vigorous educational campaign was planned and carried out in the days immediately preceding the administration of oral vaccine.