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26
The method used is three injections of T.A.M., at fortnightly
intervals. The sessions are held on Saturday mornings
at the Hainault and Bedonwell Clinics alternately and are
attended by a Medical Officer, a School Nurse, a Health Visitor
and a Clerk.
Children of school age and pre-school age attend the same
sessions, thus enabling mothers whose family includes children
of both groups to take them at the one time.
The attention of all Medical men was called to the scheme
and the material is supplied free upon request for the treatment
of their private patients.
The scheme has been working admirably, and no case in
which a reaction has occurred has been brought to the notice
of the Department.
In the beginning the response in applying for treatment
was gratifying, some 940 being received within the first two
or three months. The present rate at which applications are
coming in, despite the activities of the School Medical Officer,
School Nurses and the Health Visitors, however, is disappointing.
Another disappointing feature is the fact that whereas
approximately 200 children are invited to attend each session,
the actual number attending in one session has never exceeded
120, thus requiring subsequent appointments being made, and
the duplication of clerical work, which in any case in schemes
such as this must necessarily be extensive in order to keep
adequate records.
The system of records in Erith is a card index, each card
containing a pocket into which are filled the injection slips,
which are completed at each injection. White being the first
injection, blue the second, and pink the third—this scheme of
coloured slips proves very useful in conveying to the doctor
which injection is being given.
I give below some figures regarding the Scheme:
No. of applications received during the year 1024
No. of First Injections given 375
No. of Second Injections given 371
No. of Third Injections given 367
C(5). Comments on:—
(a) Diphtheria.
The number of notifications of Diphtheria show a slight
decrease on last year. The type of Diphtheria was not unduly
severe, and the incidence closely followed that of previous
years.