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86
Deaths of School-children.
llford.—The deaths of children of School Age during 1949 represent
0.46 per cent. of the Total Deaths registered (all ages), and during 1948
represent 0.98 per cent.
B.C.G. Vaccination against Tuberculosis.
In pursuance of the campaign started by the Ministry of Health for
the study of B.C.G. vaccination against tuberculosis, the Medical Research
Council requested permission to try out this method of mass immunisation
amongst secondary modern school leavers in llford.
The campaign, carried out in certain selected areas, is a pilot scheme
which has the full approval of the Ministry of Health. The trial involves
at the outset children of the age of 15. Participants are all volunteers.
The scheme was circulated to all parents of school-leavers inviting their
full co-operatiion. Meetings of Head Teachers were arranged to explain
the scheme, and obtain their co-operation.
All children participating in the scheme are tuberculin-tested. Of
those found tuberculin-negative, half receive B.C.G. vaccine and the other
half hot. These two groups, together with the tuberculin-positive group,
are re-examined and followed up by a Medical Research Council team,
especially assigned to this work.
All groups are X-rayed and tuberculin tested at regular intervals
for at least three years after leaving school. In addition they will receive
regular visits from a health visitor. The object of these visits is to
obtain follow-up information regarding the children's health, both at the
time of the visit and during the previous interval, and to reduce the risk
of loss through change of address. Information received from this followup
will be amplified by the automatic notification to the unit of all persons
of the age groups concerned visiting the chest clinics in the area. In this
way it is hoped to obtain detailed information on the tuberculous
morbidity arising in all groups in the years following their initial examination,
and thereby to arrive at conclusions concerning the value of antituberculosis
vaccines.
The llford Committee for Education approved the scheme and it
came into operation in October, 1950.