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18
SECTION D
INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES, SCABIES AND
OTHER CONDITIONS
DIPHTHERIA IMMUNISATION
As previously stated in last year's report, the extension of the
Poliomyelitis vaccination scheme to all children over the age of 6
months has affected the rate of acceptance for Diphtheria protection,
and this year's figures again show a slight decrease.
The protected child population at the end of 1958 is as follows :
Children under 5 years of age 2,215
Children 5-15 years 8,709
and the figures of work carried out during 1958 are given below :
Total number of under 5s inoculated 413
Total number of over 5s inoculated 12
Boost dose after 3 years 222
Schick Test after 3 years—Negative 29
Positive —
Primary Schick Test—Negative 3
Positive 2
POLIOMYELITIS IMMUNISATION
With the introduction of plentiful supplies of American and
Canadian Salk vaccine early in the year the waiting list was quickly
dealt with, and a beginning was made in September on the plan
to give a third or reinforcing dose to those cases already completed.
Almost simultaneously the scheme was still further extended
to include the age group born between 1933-1942, so that it now
covered all persons born between 1933-1958, expectant mothers
of all ages, the families of general practitioners, hospital staff and
their families, and ambulance personnel.
On the whole the response among the young people was disappointly
slow in the first few months but it gathered momentum
towards the end of the year and reached a fairly high level early
in 1959,