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In 1957 at least 334 children had primary courses in this
District, 313 being treated by private doctors who also gave 138
boosting doses.
TUBERCULOSIS.
In some Countries, very general use is being made of a vaccine
which it is claimed increases immunity against tuberculosis, but
here a much more guarded approach has been adopted pending
very careful observations of the results. For some years it has
been used to help protect close contacts of open cases of pulmonary
tuberculosis among the very young, nurses, etc., and in 1954
Ministerial approval was given to B.C.G. vaccine being offered
to the parents of children aged 13 years. Originally confined to
those attending Surrey County Council schools this treatment can
now be given to the same age group attending any school in the
District, and in fact 5 private schools have already co-operated.
In 1957, in this Division 59% of those offered treatment
accepted; of these 6.5% were shown by the Mantoux test not to
need B.C.G. vaccination and 49% of the age group were inoculated.
POLIOMYELITIS.
As is widely known, 1956 was the first year in which a vaccine
against poliomyelitis was introduced for use on a national scale in
this Country. Instead of limiting the initial trial to certain areas
as was done when trying out the whooping cough vaccines, the
registration of all children born between 1947 and 1954 whose
parents wished them vaccinated against poliomyelitis was encouraged,
and 4,570 children in this Division were registered. The
amount of vaccine was very limited, however, and it was also
thought advisable to confine treatment to the months of May and
June, i.e. stopping it before poliomyelitis generally becomes prevalent.
As a result, only 500 registered children born in certain
months were, in fact, called up for treatment, which was given only
by selected doctors of the Local Authorities.
During 1957 the treatment of the remainder was proceeded
with as rapidly as the supply of vaccine permitted, only a temporary
halt being called in the immediate neighbourhood of any case of
poliomyelitis. The private doctors also assisted, and by the end
of the year 4,041 had received two injections. In May, the age
group was extended to include children born in 1955/6 and in
November ante-natal mothers, babies of six months or over and
groups at special risk were added. The year 1958 thus began with
a waiting list of about 5,748 but with little anticipation that the
complications hitherto introduced, some unnecessarily, were to be
intensified as the year progressed.
COMBINATIONS OF VACCINE.
It will be seen from the above that the number of diseases
against which vaccines can be used has steadily increased, although
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