A 70 percent increase in polio cases prompted Israel Barzilai, Minister of Health, today to summon an expert committee to fight the threat of a possible epidemic.
The peak of the current outbreak was recorded in Jerusalem and the Galilee where most of the 60 new cases during May occurred. Health officials expressed confidence that urgent measures placed in operation would stop the outbreak and that there was no reason for alarm.
The visit of Dr. Jonas Salk, famous polio vaccine specialist, who is due here in September, was being eagerly awaited.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
