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APPENDIX NO. 3.
July 12th, 1948.
To the Chairman and Members of the Public Health Committee.
Aldermen and Councillors,
Diphtheria Immunisation.
I drew attention in my Annual Report for 1925 to the research work
recently carried out for the purpose of determining the susceptibility of individuals
to diphtheria and of immunising positive reactors. Emphasis was laid on the
fact that the medical profession was becoming more convinced that the Schick
Test did distinguish between the susceptible and the immune, that the process
of immunisation did render the susceptible immune, that this immunity Was of
sufficient duration to be of real value, and that the whole process was free from
risk.
Attention was drawn to the probable difficulty of persuading the public in a
community where there was already a strong feeling against vaccination to accept
the introduction of this new principle. Nevertheless the necessity for the provision
of facilities for immunisation against diphtheria, especially for children under
five years who are very susceptible to this disease, was stressed and an accompanying
intensive propaganda campaign was recommended.
In the following year after considering a report on the claims of artificial
immunisation the Council, with the approval of the Ministry of Health, established
an immunisation clinic at the Municipal Infant Welfare Centre at 140 Camberwell
Road. Children of school age were also treated at this clinic as the London
County Council at that time had unfortunately not provided facilities for this
preventive treatment.
Had such facilities been provided by the L.C.C. parents would have realised
the importance of having their younger children protected before reaching school
age and so avoiding the risk of their developing diphtheria. Consequently it took
some years for parents to acquire a "preventive consciousness."
In 1935 the Immunisation Clinic was transferred from 140 Camberwell
Road to more suitable premises at Mayward House Infant Welfare Centre, Brunswick
Square. From the time of moving the attendances gradually increased until
the outbreak of war when the number of attendances fell as a result of the
evacuation of Camberwell mothers and children to safe areas.
In the year 1941 the London County Council inaugurated a scheme for
diphtheria immunisation treatment of school-children to be undertaken by the
School Medical Service.
In response to the appeal by the Ministry of Health to local authorities in
1942 to secure the immunisation of the greatest number of children against
diphtheria during the summer months, an intensive propaganda campaign was
conducted throughout the Borough. This campaign was so successful that it
became necessary to establish additional clinics and arrangements were made to
hold six sessions weekly—three at the Sumner Infant Welfare Centre, and one
each at the Dulwich and Mayward House Infact Welfare Centres and the St.
Antholin's First Aid Post.
The Council, in 1943, approved a scheme for treatment to be carried out by
private medical practitioners in the Borough, the Council supplying the immunising
material and undertaking responsibility for the payment of a fee to the
private doctor for each injection administered. This Scheme provided facilities
for the treatment of persons who for any reason were unable to attend at the
Municipal Clinics.
The weekly number of sessions was reduced to three by 1945, but towards
the end of 1947 the number of children awaiting treatment had again increased
to such an extent as to necessitate the establishment of another clinic. There are
at present four sessions held every week, two at the Sumner Centre, and one each
at the Dulwich and Amott Road Centres.
I am indebted to Dr. G. Bousfield, who is an acknowledged authority and
one of the pioneers in this branch of medical development, for the following
references to the technique employed in the Council's Clinics under his control: —