View report page

182
Progress in the Anti-Tuberculosis Vaccine Research Trial.
Report by Dr. T. M. Pollock—Physician in charge of B.C.G. Trials.
During 1953 the investigation into tuberculosis vaccines, in
which the Leyton Public Health Authorities are co-operating with
the Medical Research Council, continued. This scheme is being
undertaken to discover the duration and degree of protection
afforded by the vaccine in the general population ; and in Leyton it
began in 1950. Twenty-four other London Boroughs, besides areas
in Manchester and Birmingham, are taking part; and the 54,000
volunteers in the scheme, some of whom were vaccinated during
their last term at school, are now being followed up to determine the
value of the vaccine. Six-hundred and twenty-eight young people
in Leyton are included.
The follow-up consists mainly of a health visitor visit and
annual chest X-ray ; and during 1953, as in the previous year, the
health visitors concerned in the visiting played a great part in the
successful progress of the trial. At these visits details of the scheme
were explained to the parents, and encouragement given to the
young people concerned to take advantage of the necessary X-ray
examination. During these visits the health visitors also recorded
data essential to the investigation. The X-ray Unit visited Dawlish
Road Clinic in October, when invitations were sent to the group
(numbering 217) who left school at Easter and Summer, 1951.
About three-quarters of the invited young people attended for
examination—a slight decline from the high figures of the previous
year. The X-rays are a great health safeguard in adolescents at a
time of life when tuberculosis is common, and it is hoped that as many
of the young people concerned as possible will continue to take
advantage of this health check and help in the investigation.