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Poliomyelitis Vaccination
(A) Extension of Scheme
As a result of Ministry of Health Circular 20/58, the poliomyelitis
vaccination scheme was extended to persons born in the years 1933-42,
so that in fact all persons up to and including 25 years of age, as well as
special categories of any age, became eligible for this protection.
Publicity was given to the extended scheme during the week commencing
27th October 1958 by means of advertisements in the local
press, B.B.C. radio and television broadcasts, posters, car stickers and
leaflets.
General practitioners have been kept fully informed and have given
valuable assistance in vaccinating patients who preferred to attend their
own doctors' surgeries.
In this Area an approach was made to all factories with more than 50
employees and as a result, leaflets explaining the scheme were distributed
through pay packets. Many of the firms also asked for posters and car
stickers which were immediately supplied.
An experiment was tried with "open" sessions on Saturday mornings
at which eligible persons could attend without appointment and which
were publicised in the local press. Four such sessions have been held but
only 55 persons availed themselves of this opportunity.
The scheme also provides for evening sessions to suit the convenience
of persons who may be working and unable to attend during the normal
day-time sessions. Only 17 persons, however, have asked for an evening
appointment and as they are scattered over the Area and it would not be
possible to arrange a session convenient for them all, they have been
offered the alternative of approaching their family doctors or attending
a normal day-time session.
Three of the factories in the Area have asked for sessions to be arranged
during working hours in their factories and some 300 persons will receive
protection in this way.
(B) Third Injections
The Ministry of Health also decided that third injections should be
offered to all persons who had had two injections provided that the third
injection was given not less than seven months after the second injection.
Third injections were commenced at the beginning of October 1958 and
by the end of the year 6,939 persons had received this extra protection.
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