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40
Immunisation against Diphtheria.
Artificial immunisation against Diphthria was continued during
the year. To the parents of all children attending the Infant Departments
of the Public Elementary Schools throughout the District a
leaflet describing the object of this treatment was distributed and
those wishing to have their children both of school age and under
school age immunised were asked to sign a form of consent.
Subsequently written apointments were made for each child, and
the mother was asked to attend at the time when the treatments was
carried out. Children under school age were also treated, the invitations
being extended through the Child Welfare Clinics. By permission
of the Education Committee this work was carried out in the
Treatment Centres or on school premises.
I am much indebted to the County Medical Officer who assisted
very considerably by arranging that I should have the services of the
School Nurses and Health Visitors during the time that the treatment
was being carried out, and to the Head Teachers who granted
facilities and helped very materially by assembling the children and
in many other ways.
During the year T.A.T. was the immunising agent which was
used, the dose being 1 c.c. injected intra-muscularly at intervals of
approximately three weeks, and followed by a Schick test after a
period of between three and four months.
The total number of persons who have received a full course of
treatment since the scheme was begun in the year 1934 is 3,272.
In the following tables are shown the numbers of persons tested
before treatment, the number treated and the number tested after
treatment.
The adults treated were teachers in the Infants' Departments.