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Inoculation against diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus is now
available at all our clinics. The use of this new "triple antigen"
began on 1st January, 1960, and is already proving extremely
popular with mothers. Less visits are now required either to a
clinic or to the family doctor, while protection against tetanus is
now available. As several cases of tetanus have occurred in North
London within recent months, this appeared to be a logical addition
to our preventive armour. The latest figures for Southgate
children show that 95.2% of the children up to the age of 2 years
were protected against diphtheria at the end of 1959, while approximately
the same number were protected against pertussis. Figures
for tetanus protection are, of course, not yet available. I think it
would be right to claim that these figures could scarcely be bettered
in any part of the country.
Vaccination against smallpox is also available at all our clinics.
Our latest figures show that 91.2% of children up to the age of
two years, were vaccinated against smallpox at the end of
1959. This figure is quite remarkable, especially when it is remembered
that, not so many years ago, little more than 20/25% of
children were so protected.
Our scheme for vaccination against poliomyelitis among
children and adults is comprehensive. Vaccination against poliomyelitis
is available at all our clinics, while special clinics have been
arranged on Saturday mornings to cope with young adults up to the
age of 26. We know that approximately 90% of children up to
the age of 15 were protected against poliomyelitis by vaccination
by the end of 1959. The figures relating to the age group 15/26
are not fully known, since many young adults were protected at
their place of work or in the City. We have every reason to
believe, however, that at least 50% of adults in this age group have
been protected by vaccination. Here again I think it can be claimed
with some confidence that these figures are as good as those produced
in any other part of England and Wales. We are now, of
course, offering vaccination to all adults up to the age of 40.
Our publicity scheme in relation to all types of immunisation
and vaccination is very complete in Southgate. This includes
primary vaccination or immunisation, in addition to reinforcing
injections given at schools. I think it could be said that we do
more in this direction than most other areas in Middlesex; indeed,
some of my colleagues seem to think that we do too much! None
the less, I am firmly convinced that this type of publicity—a valuable
piece of health education—is very largely responsible for producing
the excellent results which we can show in Southgate. We
also work in the closest harmony with general practitioners. I
have made it a practice to keep general practitioners informed of
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