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26
Report of the Medical Officer of Health for 1936.
the small number of adults who were tested 51 per cent. gave?
positive result.
Immunisation:—Immunity does not develop until several
weeks have elapsed after the injection has been given and in
order to determine whether this has occurred it is essential for a
further test to be performed. This is generally known as the
Re-Schick Test. No person can be said to have been immunised
successfully until the re-test gives a negative result. Unfortunately
the exact period required to produce immunity varies considerably
and it is not possible to give an assurance that it will take
a certain time. Parents are advised to bring their children for
the re-test in about six to eight weeks after the injection has been
given and many of them come about that time. A considerable
proportion, however, fail to attend for the re-test and some fail
to complete the course of injections.
The number of persons who have attended the Clinics and
required immunisation was 6,792. This number is made up of
4,313 who were found to be Schick positive after the initial test
and the 2,479 young children who were assumed to be susceptible
without a test, as they were under five years of age. The
subsequent history of these 6,792 persons is given in the following
statement:—
No. who were immunised and found to be
Protected as shown by a Negative
re-Schick Test 5,091
No. who received a course of injections but
are not yet protected as the re-Schick
Test is still positive 248
No. who received injections, the value of which
is not known as they have not attended to
be re-tested 1,396
Schick positive cases who were not injected 57
Total number of Susceptibles 6,792