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A letter was sent to all doctors in the borough informing them that
Gamma Globulin solution would be supplied free of charge for suitable cases.
and the Borough Council would pay a fee for each injection given. A suitable
record card would be completed by the doctor and forwarded to the Medical Officer
of Health.
Applications from doctors were received in respect of 22 children who
were measles contacts. Two of them subsequently developed a mild attack and
one a moderate attack but with no complications.
These numbers are too small for definite conclusions to be drawn, and
further work is necessary to measure the value of measles preventive measures.
DIPHTHERIA IMMUNISATION.
A special feature of the Immunisation) Campaign for 1945 was the use
of the Mobile Clinic during the summer months. This was originally planned
for the summer of 1944 but had to be postponed owing to fly-bomb attacks.
Much of the work planned for this Campaign depended upon the use of Civil Defence
vehicles and the services of Civil Defence personnel and the withdrawal of these
facilities, in 1945 necessitated considerable re-arrangements. A loud speaker
car was obtained on loan from the Ministry of Information and the Civil Defence
Controller made available for use as a travelling clinic the heavy mobile
first-aid unit.
The Campaign opened in April with the showing of a two minute trailer
film, on Diphtheria Immunisation at all cinemas in Islington for three days.
Wherever possible also a slide was shown giving particulars of the nearest
Council's Clinic for Immunisation. Special advertisements and an article
by the Acting Medical Officer of Health appeared in the local press and
attention was drawn to the Mobile Clinic. Campaign. Specially designed new
posters with a local interest were displayed throughout the borough and the Health
Visitors took part in the intensive follow - up visiting. The Mobile Immunisation
Clinic was in action from May 29th to July 31st. In each district this
visit was preceded by a loud speaker car which toured the district the previous
day broadcasting a message from the Medical Officer of Health and announcing
the time that the Mobile Clinic would visit a particular street.
The Mobile Clinic went out four times, weekly usually making five or
six halts during each tour and accompanied by a loud speaker van.
The team consisted of a Medical Officer, Health Visitor, two or three
clerks, and the driver of the Mobile Clinic and the loud speaker car. The
chief aim of the Mobile Clinic was to bring immunisation to those young
children under school age whose mothers, because of the pressure of household
cares or war work or possibly by reason of indifference or ignorance, had not
previously taken their children to one of the existing clinics.
The following figures show the work of the Mobile Clinic:-
No. of Sessions held 36
Total attendances for first injections 1017
Total attendances for second injections.
at Mobile Clinic 656
It is very probable that comparatively few of these children would
have come forward for immunisation but for the use of the Mobile Clinic. It
was noted that the summer campaign resulted in increased attendances at the
fixed clinics. it is considered that the use of the Mobile Clinics and the
loud speaker car has, undoubtedly, been a valuable advertising agent and has
assisted in making the population of the borough "immunisation conscious".
So for as is known, this was the first use of a Mobile Clinic for
Diphtheria Immunisation in London, and the experiment attracted some attentions
The work of the clinic was filmed by the Ministry of Information and photographs
also appeared in the national daily press.
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