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The new schedule delays the start of the first Triple injection until the child has
reached the age of six months and also recommends poliomyelitis vaccine to be
administered concurrently. This means that the primary courses of Triple and
poliomyelitis immunisation are not completed until the child is at least fourteen
months of age. This explains the reduction from the 1968 numbers in the completion
of primary Triple and poliomyelitis courses.
In the case of persons under sixteen years of age 8,157 primary courses of
immunisation against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, poliomyelitis and measles
were given, of which 2,648 were undertaken by general medical practitioners and
5,509 by the Council's medical officers. Of the total number of 11,679 reinforcing
doses, 4,101 were given by general medical practitioners and 7,578 by the Council's
medical officers. With regard to smallpox, general medical practitioners undertook
1,026 primary vaccinations and 368 re-vaccinations of persons under the age of
sixteen years, compared with 1,528 primary vaccinations and nine re-vaccinations
by the Council's medical officers.
Also, in January, in accordance with the advice of the Department of Health
and Social Security that vaccination should be carried out" by or with the knowledge
of the family doctor a scheme was introduced whereby, before vaccination against
smallpox is undertaken by a medical officer of the Council, the general practitioner
concerned is in each case asked to sign a form to the effect that to his knowledge
there is no contra- indication to vaccination.
It is recommended by the Department of Health and Social Security that local
authorities should inform general medical practitioners of patients on their lists who
had been immunised or vaccinated in local authority clinics and accordingly 10,663
notifications of immunisation were sent to general practitioners.
Publicity
Publicity for immunisation procedures continued in all clinics and in general
practitioners' surgeries during the year in the form of posters and leaflets which were
varied from time to time.
Immunisation in Clinics
At appropriate ages, a card is sent to each child, inviting him to be immunised
either by his family doctor or by attendance at a clinic, and a leaflet giving information
about immunisation accompanies it. This is combined with the periodic or birthday
card in which children are invited to attend the clinic for general health purposes. It
is considered that the provision of immunisation facilities at each child health session,
rather than at specially organised sessions, results in a more successful acceptance
rate, an opinion substantiated by the gratifyingly satisfactory acceptance rates the
borough has enjoyed since its inception.
Vaccination against Smallpox
The recorded number of persons under sixteen years of age who received
primary vaccination was 2,554, and 377 were re-vaccinated.
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