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18 Report of the Medical Officer of Health for 1934.
which was used formerly, it was necessary to give three injections.
As experience has shown that the large majority of children
under five years of age give a positive Schick test, in order to save
time, the procedure is modified in their case by omitting the
preliminary test and the first immunising injection is administered
at the first attendance.
A leaflet describing the procedure has been drawn up and
this is distributed by the Council's Officers when visiting homes
and at the Welfare Centres. The London County Council have
given permission for these leaflets to be distributed at their
schools, and many thousands have been given out in this
manner.
Attendances :—The number of persons who have attended
at the Clinics during the year was 954 compared with 973 in 1932
and 896 in 1933. In the seven years during which the two clinics
have been open, 6,172 persons have attended.
4,613 of the total number who attended were given the
Initial Schick Test to see if they were susceptible to Diphtheria,
and the remaining 1,559 were given immunising injections without
a preliminary Schick Test. Almost all of the latter were young
children under five years of age, who were assumed to be susceptible
to Diphtheria on account of their age.
The Initial Schick Test:—An analysis of the results of
the tests performed is given in Table XI. which shows the cases
divided into age groups and sexes and the result of the test in each
group. The last line of the table gives the percentage of the
results found to be positive in each group excluding those who
failed to attend for the test to be read.
The essential fact brought out by this Table is that 3,163
persons gave a positive result to the initial Schick Test showing
that they were susceptible to Diphtheria. This is 69 per cent.
The highest proportion of positive results occurs in the lowest
age group and the proportion diminishes as age advances. This
is in accordance with the known facts about the Schick Test. Of