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It is necessary to appreciate one or two points in connection with
Schick testing and inoculation. It takes some 6 to 8 months after the
inoculation before the child is protected. It is imperative that this
should be pointed out to the parents, otherwise if an inoculated child
contracts the disease during this period, a few people might say that
it was the inoculation which caused the disease ! This, of course is
impossible, as there is no germ of Diphtheria in the inoculating material.
Accordingly, as each child is inoculated I hand the parent the following
leaflet:—
METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF DEPTFORD.
Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
New Cross Road, S.E.14.
NOTICE TO PARENTS.
The object of Schick Testing is to see whether one is liable to
contract Diphtheria.
A small injection is made into the skin of both wrists. A week
later the doctor examines the wrists and he can then tell whether the
person injected is liable to contract the disease or whether nature has
already afforded protection against the disease.
The Schick Test is only applied to children of six years old
upwards and to adults.
Children of five and under are not Schick Tested but are
inoculated straight away.
Inoculation is given in three small doses, one every week for
three successive weeks.
Note that this protection by inoculation against Diphtheria
does not take effect in the inoculated person's system until
about 6-8 months after the date of the third and last inoculation.
Therefore, if the inoculated person is exposed to the germ of
Diphtheria somewhere, before the inoculation takes effect, that
person may contract Diphtheria.
Ninety out of every hundred inoculated are protected for many
years, if not indeed for life, as soon as the inoculation takes effect,
namely, about 6-8 months after the inoculation.
To prove that the inoculation has definitely taken effect we
strongly advise you to return to the Town Hall about six months
after the third inoculation in order that a final Schick Test may be
carried out.
Chas. S. Thomson,
Medical Officer of Health.