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42
IMMUNISATION AND VACCINATION
The programme of vaccination of susceptible children against measles
which was introduced in May, 1968, has continued as a routine offering to
children as they attain the age of 14 months. The 1968 programme included
a back-log of older children and of the total number vaccinated in that
year, nearly 50% were of school age. During 1969, children born in 1967
to 1968 comprised 80% of the total vaccinated.

The decline noted in 1968 in the number of cases of measles
notified has been confirmed by the figures for 1969. a year which could
have been expected to show the hitherto normal biennial epidemic. The
annual totals of notifications from 1963 onwards are given below:-
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1,296
428
1,084
515
847
296
211
Vaccination and Immunisation against other diseases
In my report for 1968, I drew attention to the effect of the modified
immunisation programme whereby fewer completed courses were recorded during
the year. This is still valid for 1969 and it will be seen that the figures
for completed primary courses of vaccination against poliomyelitis,
diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus are at about the 1968 level in respect
of children attending the Council's clinics, but there is a decline in the
numbers attending their own general medical practitioners. The reductions
in reinforcing doses for diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus immunisations
arise from the omission in the modified schedule of two booster doses,
triple antigen previously given to 15 months old children and diphtheria/
tetanus at 8 to 9 years old.
The acceptance ratio for all the foregoing and smallpox vaccination
is still at an unsatisfactorily low level.