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59
The incidence of diphtheria showed a considerable increase in
1934, and the mortality was 4.5%. The type of the disease was
moderately severe.
One hundred and fifty cases of bacteriological Diphtheria were
admitted but these are not included as Diphtheria as they exhibited
no clinical symptoms.
The case rate (Col. 3) for England and Wales was 170.
Croydon's rate was therefore higher than for the whole country.
Immunisation Clinic.
The Clinic commenced on 5th February and is held at Lodge
Road Clinic. It deals only with Anti-Diphtheritic immunisation.
At first only one session a week was held, but owing to the
lengthening waiting list and increasing number of applications a
second Clinic was begun at the end of November. The demand has
continued to grow and a third Clinic will have to be arranged in
the near future.
The total number of children seen at the Clinic during the
year was 509. Of these 339 were over 5 years of age and 170 were
5 years or under. Five hundred and seventy-four Schick tests were
performed and of these 389 were Anterior and 185 Posterior tests.
One thousand two hundred and sixty injections of toxoid-antitoxin
mixture were given.
No propaganda has been undertaken other than informing
mothers that facilities were available if they desired their children
immunising. The principle has been to immunise those who
desired it, but not to endeavour to convert those who were apathetic
or hostile. For immunisation to exert a pronounced effect upon
Diphtheria incidence—which incidentally has not been excessive
in Croydon—at least some 60% of the total susceptibles in the
population must be rendered immune, and it was felt such a result
was hardly to be anticipated even as the result of intensive propaganda.
Diphtheria has been stamped out in various of the "closed"
communities comprised in residential schools in the borough and
this has been achieved by the Schick testing of all the inmates and
the immunisation of those found susceptible. As indicated, however,
the numbers have steadily increased as the Clinic became
known The average number of children attending per session at
the beginning of the year was 20; the later sessions were called
upon to deal with between 60 and 70. The average over the whole
year was 36 per session.