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Immunisation and vaccination
An important change took place during the year when it was
decided to introduce a new schedule of routine immunisation in
childhood. For many years children had started their primary
courses of prophylaxis at three months, receiving protection
against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and poliomyelitis;
these courses were completed at five months, and reinforcing
doses were given at 15 months. Under the new arrangements the
first doses are given at six months and the second and third at
eight and fourteen months respectively. No reinforcing dose is
necessary. This new schedule is in accordance with that recommended
by the Department of Health and Social Security as
providing the maximum antigenic response. One result of the
change is that the figures of completed primary courses are
necessarily lower than those for 1971, as no child who started
a primary course on the new schedule in 1972 could have completed
it by the end of the year. Even allowing for this fact,
however, it appears that there has been a general reduction in