Ottawa, Aug. 16 (CP) -
Federal and Provincial Governments will pay equal shares of the cost of producing a vaccine for use in the event of an outbreak of Asiatic flu, Acting Health Minister A. J. Brooks, announced today.
The vaccine, being produced at Connaught Laboratories, Toronto, and the Institute Microbiology at the University of Montreal, will be distributed on a per capita basis to provincial health authorities who will be responsible for conducting immunization programs.
Brooks said in a statement that "we anticipate that, in general, priority in the use of the vaccine will be for the maintenance of essential services." While the Asian virus has not! been identified in Canada. Brooks said, there have been a few small outbreaks of flu in! this country.
The announcement said that following receipt of specimens of the Asiatic flu virus in Canada last June. an advisory committee representing the two laboratories and federal and provincial health departments laid the groundwork for an immunization program.
The two laboratories were to produce as much vaccine as possible within the limits of, their present facilities.