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37
Mention has been made in previous annual reports of the arrangements for
sending infectious disease "contacts" to Earlsfield House children's receiving home.
This procedure has been continued. During the year, 360 children were admitted
to the " contact " block at Earlsfield House, and, of these, 13 children developed the
disease to which it was stated they had been exposed, and 10 developed other
diseases.
Schick-testing and immunisation against diphtheria are carried out at the
Council's residential establishments for children with certain exceptions, viz., the
receiving homes, 3 residential open-air schools and the remand home. At these
latter establishments the children do not remain a sufficient length of time for immunisation
to be carried out. During the year 1937, 1,066 children were Schicktested,
viz., 724 boys and 342 girls, of whom 442 boys (61.0 per cent.) and 163 girls
(47.7 per cent.) proved to be Schick negative or naturally immune from diphtheria,
while 282 boys (39.0 per cent.) and 179 girls (52.3 per cent.) were found to be Schick
positive or susceptible to diphtheria.
Active
immunisation
against
diphtheria

Of the total of 461 Schick positive cases, 354 proved to be negative after the usual
course of immunising injections, and 16 became immune after further injections.
The remaining 91 children left school before immunisation was completed. In these
cases the appropriate medical officers of health were informed so that they might make
arrangements for the immunisation to be completed.
The following is a summary of the progress of immunisation during 1938:—
Uncompleted cases brought forward from 1937 162
Number tested for susceptibility 1,169
Number found to be immune 705
Number found to be susceptible 464
Completed full immunising course and gave negative
reactions on re-test 377
Left school before course of immunising injections had been
completed 1ll
Outstanding on 31st December, 1938, to be completed in 1939 138