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36
Schick Testing and Immunization.
Diphtheria prevention was started in the latter part of the
year 1930. Apart from a number of cases of school children who
desired treatment following the occurrence of a few cases of
diphtheria in the school, most of the earlier cases treated were
drawn from those attending the Infant Welfare Centres. Early
in the year all children attending the infants' departments in all
schools were handed a leaflet containing some notes on Schick testing
and inoculation, and also a consent form which the parents
were asked to complete and return to the school in respect of any
child, not necessarily children attending the school, for whom
treatment was required. The response varied between 5 to 15
per cent, of the forms distributed. Later the same method was
applied in the case of the older school children. This led to some
of the younger children being dealt with for whom treatment was
not requested in the first instance. Other persons were recruited
by these leaflets being delivered at homes on the occurrence of a
case of diphtheria.
51 sessions were held during the year, clinics being held in
three different buildings. The average attendance per session was
99. Schick reactions were read a week after the test and injections
were carried out at, roughly, weekly intervals. 491 children under
six years of age were immunized without previous testing. of
1,013 children tested. 330 were negative ; the 683 positives received
three injections. There were 23 children tested whose reactions
were not read, and 87 who failed to complete the course.
children were Schick-tested in 1931 subsequent to receiving inoculations,
but a number have already been dealt w ith in the early part
of this year. Owing to the high proportion found still to be Schickpositive
after three doses, inoculations are now spaced at fortnightly,
instead of weekly, intervals. The total cost including
salaries, etc., was 5s. 2d. per child immunized, or 3s. lid. Pre
child inoculated or proving immune.
No children who were declared Schick-negative or who had
received a full course of immunizing doses, have yet been attacked
by diphtheria. The following cases of illness have occurred
amongst the children treated :—
(1) A child of 6, not Schick-tested, received a dose of 1 c.c.
on 20/10/30 and on 1 /II /30; and fell ill with diphtheria
on 19/11/30.
(2) On 4/1 /82, a boy of 2 who had received one dose on 18/9/3'0
contracted diphtheria.