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IMMUNISATION AGAINST DIPHTHERIA.- 792 persons
attended for immunisation during 1945 at the weeklyclinic
held at the Town Hall, or at the schools
visited during the year. This compares with a total
of 558 during 1944.
Plans are being prepared to stage a publicity
campaign designed to stimulate interest in immunisation
throughout the Borough. Although 49.1 per cent of
Southgate children below the age of 5 have been
immunised against diphtheria, this figure is not
considered entirely satisfactory, and it is hoped that
the proposed campaign will result in an improvement.
It should, of course, be remembered that the figure of
49.1 does not include the bulk of children immunised
by their own doctors. We have continually tried to
obtain this latter figure, but so far have met with
little success. Steps are now being taken to check up
on all children attending our Clinics and Day Nurseries,
and it is anticipated that in this way fuller
information will become available.
The value of immunisation against diphtheria has
now been established beyond question. So far as
Southgate is concerned, the fact that the average
number of diphtheria cases notified during the past 10
years was 13.6 proves that immunisation is playing its
part in reducing the dangers of this very serious
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