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14
Whooping Cough Vaccination
From what has been said it will be apparent that an efficient vaccine
against whooping cough would achieve three things.
1. Prevent a child from suffering from a complaint which is most
distressing both for the patient and those who have to look after
him:
2. Prevent much chronic ill health in later life with its calls upon
the curative services; and
3. If given early in the first year saving of infant life.
The trial which has been conducted by the Medical Research Council in
this area as part of an effort to produce such a vaccine is not yet complete
but it is hoped to give an account of it in my next Annual Report.
Snallpox Vaccination
In the appendix to my last annual report I reported that facilities for
infant vaccination had been made available at infant welfare clinics in addition
to the service provided by general practitioners
1953 was the first full year in which this scheme had operated and the
accompanying table shows that the hope of an increase in the percentage of
infants vaccinated has been justified,