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61
DIPHTHERIA IMMUNISATION CLINIC.
I am indebted to Dr. W. R. Martine, an Assistant Medical
Officer of Health, who has done the clinical work of this Clinic,
for the following particulars.
The demand for Immunisation against Diphtheria has been
more than maintained at the high level reached towards the close
of 1935. As in former years, no widespread propaganda has been
employed, and the principle of immunising those requesting treatment,
without in any way attempting to convert those antagonistic
or apathetic, has been adhered to. Leaflets are distributed to
parents at School Medical Examinations, at School Clinics, and
at Infant Welfare Centres. At 5 Schools in the Borough informal
meetings were held, at which the Assistant School Medical Officer
concerned explained the procedure to those parents who were sufficiently
interested to attend. In three areas this had a considerable
reaction upon the waiting list; by October this had reached 585,
and there were still 486 waiting to commence treatment at the
end of the year. It has been gratifying to note the number of
families introduced to the Clinic by friends and neighbours who
have previously had treatment, and also of children sent for a
Schick Test after treatment carried out through another local
authority or by a private practitioner.
The effects of, and results from, Immunisation are clearly
explained to each parent on first attendance at the Clinic, and,
on Schick Test after Immunisation, parents are given definitely to
understand that it is impossible to guarantee that any individual,
immunised and found thereafter to be Schick negative, will never
contract Diphtheria, but that, should this occur, the attack will be
mild in character, without risk to the individual of those grave
complications which render the disease such a serious one. An
acquired immunity may slowly be lost or reduced, and the resistance
of the individual may subsequently be inadequate in the face of an
especially virulent infection, yet the attack is mild by comparison
with that in the Schick positive or unprotected child.
It may be said here that little or no difficulty has been experienced
in gaining the co-operation of parents and children, so
ensuring completion of the treatment, once begun. The policy of
allowing Immunisation to conduct, for the most part, its own
Propaganda, continues to justify itself.
The current year's work commenced with 624 children still
under treatment. Three sessions per week were again held; two,