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IMMUNISATION AND VACCINATION
Diphtheria Immunisation
Diphtheria immunisation is carried out at infant welfare centres at special
immunisation sessions, at day schools and at children's residential establishments
in London. When parents prefer the family doctor to immunise their children,
general practitioners undertake the duties and are paid a fee of 5s. for each completed
record of immunisation. The material is supplied free of charge through the Ministry
of Health's Public Health laboratory service.
The total number of children immunised against diphtheria under all these
arrangements during the year was 46,689 and in addition 27,579 " boosting " doses
were given. The comparative figures for 1949 were 56,030 and 38,312 respectively.
Some part of the reduction in immunisat ion in 1950 was undoubtedly due to publicity
given to exaggerated reports of cases of paralysis following inoculation during the
poliomyelitis epidemic of 1949. The reduction in the demand for immunisation is
also associated with the present low incidence of diphtheria, itself a result of the
Ihe disparity between the number of applications received and those provided
with assistance in the maternity cases was due in many instances to the applicants
either obtaining alternative assistance, or having obtained a bed in a hospital for the
confinement. Of the non-maternity cases, about 1,560 applications had to be refused
owing to inability to supply home helps ; the excess of households attended over the
number of applications received in 1950 is due to the carry over of cases already being
serviced at the commencement of the year.
Service for the maternity patients is normally provided for two 44 hour weeks.
In other cases the average number of hours of service per week is 6 continued over an
average period of 33 weeks. These cases cover a wide range of short and long duration
and many chronic sick and aged patients receive continuous service for periods
considerably over 33 weeks. There has been a tendency for maternity cases to
decline and for chronic sickness cases to increase ; as the latter are of long duration
this means that the number of households assisted has not increased in proportion
to the expansion in hours of service.
Home helps are encouraged to obtaih the certificate of the National Institute
of Houseworkers, Ltd., upon obtaining which they receive an addition of Id. an hour
to their rate of pay. Facilities are granted to those desirous of taking the examination.
Where recipients of the service can pay it they are charged the full rate of 2s. 6d.
an hour, but in other cases an abatement is made in accordance with a scale approved
by the Ministry of Health. For this purpose, particulars of income are required to
be stated on the form of application for domestic help, and assessment is based on
the information supplied. An impression that incorrect information was being
given led to an investigation of the details supplied by 36 per cent. of the applicants.
This disclosed that in 48 per cent. of the cases investigated, understatements of
income and allowances were made. In some cases the understatement was substantial
and apparently deliberate. Since a large loss of income was likely as the result of a
large number of mis-statements of income, a 100 per cent. check is now being undertaken.