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small proportion of children of under 5 years brought forward for
treatment, as compared with school children, is to be regretted.
This fact is, however, easily explained, in that more parents hear
of the treatment through the school medical service than through
the Maternity and Child Welfare Scheme, and that in the latter
case, parents are still perhaps apprehensive of the thought of injections
in very young children. (3) That certain areas have come
forward rather more wholeheartedly than others, a majority of the
children coming from homes which one may describe as above
average, with a resultant high percentage of Schick Positive
Reactions. Small localised outbreaks of Diphtheria have had the
effect of increasing the numbers of children brought forward from
the areas involved.
The "One Shot" method has not been tried at the Clinic, as
there has been no demand. Difficulty in effecting the necessary
attendances has not arisen, whilst the present uncertainty of the
duration of immunization conferred by this method, and the possibility
of severe local reactions have been deemed to be sufficient
reasons not to alter the well tried methods that have been followed
since the inception of the Clinic. "One Shot" immunization,
uncontrolled by Schick testing, as is now being practised by some
medical practitioners, is unscientific and is likely, if utilised on a
wide scale, to bring the whole procedure of protective action
against Diphtheria, into disrepute.