London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Leyton 1951
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Leyton]
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125
RESEARCH WORK.
Anti-tuberculosis Vaccine (B.C.G.).
In collaboration with the Medical Research Council, there is
being undertaken in Leyton schools a Trial of Anti-tuberculous
Vaccine (B.C.G.).
The trial involves at the outset children leaving secondary
modern schools at the age of 15, and it is proposed to follow them
up by regular examinations for at least three years. Participants
in the trial are volunteers.
The scheme is being operated by a Medical Research Council
team especially assigned to this work, and comprises the following
examinations:—
(a) Penultimate school term: Initial tuberculin-testing and
X-raying of volunteers; inoculation with B.C.G. of those
tuberculin-negatives selected for vaccination.
(b) Final school term (12-16 weeks later): Second tuberculin
test and second X-ray of all children tuberculin-negative
at first test (whether vaccinated or not).
(c) All groups will be X-rayed and tuberculin-tested at regular
intervals for at least three years. In addition, they will
receive regular visits from a health visitor.
The examinations began towards the end of October, 1950, and the investigation has been in progress since then. The following figures give some idea of the progress of the investigation during 1951:
| Spring Term | Summer Term | Autumn Term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. of School leavers | 207 | 297 | 286 |
| No. of Acceptances | 102 | 145 | 134 |
| Percentage of Acceptances | 49.2 | 28.8 | 47.0 |
| No. attending first test | 93 | 139 | 110 |
| No. inoculated with B.C.G. | 21 | 46 | 29 |
| No. of controls | 21 | 43 | 31 |
| No. positive to O.T. 1/3000 and 1/100.. | 42 | 47 | 31 |