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During the year, opportunity was taken to review our immunisation
programme in its entirety, in order to ascertain whether any
improvements could-be effected. Briefly, our programme for 1947
will be carried out along the following lines:
(а) A weekly clinic will be held at the Town Hall for immunisation
against diphtheria or diphtheria and whooping
cough combined. Children of all ages will be invited to attend
this clinic, although it is hoped that the bulk will be infants
(around the age of 9—12 months) referred from Maternity and
Child Welfare Centres. This is the optimum age at which
immunisations should be performed. As soon as Broomfield
House is ready for occupation, the Clinic will be moved back to
its previous premises, which are more suitable for clinic
purposes.
(b) Schools will be visited for the purpose of carrying out
reinforcing injections approximately five years after the first
immunisation has taken place. This should prolong immunity
throughout the bulk of school life and thus prevent a dangerous
falling off between the ages of ten and fifteen. The ideal
procedure is, of course, to immunise a child for the first time at
the age of 9—12 months, and to give one reinforcing dose when
the child begins school. It may even be desirable to repeat
the reinforcing dose at the age of ten, although this is not yet
the general practice. Visits to the schools also enable us to
immunise children who have been missed during our previous
campaigns.
(c) Other duties permitting, it may be possible to carry out
a certain amount of immunisation at two of our Infant Welfare
Clinics—De Bohun and Combined Clinic. I am still not
satisfied that the advantages of persuading mothers to accept
immunisation on the spot counteracts the dislocation which
immunisation brings to a busy clinic. If and when the number
of our weekly clinics is enlarged, this difficulty may be overcome:
but until that is possible I feel that our programme
should mainly be based on a weekly ad hoc session, either at the
Town Hall or at Broomfield House.
(d) Parents will be encouraged to accept immunisation by
personal advice at Maternity and Child Welfare Clinics,
articles in the local press and "Better Health," distribution
of leaflets, and the despatch of birthday greeting cards. Any
campaign to promote immunisation should be continuous,
with periodic stimuli as and when required. One such stimulus
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