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53
steps for circularizing practitioners, informing the public, and
generally bringing the scheme into operation as soon as
possible."
Most of the general practitioners in the district agreed to
participate in the scheme. The attention of the public was drawn
to the facilities offered by posters, notices in the press, posters in
the infant welfare centres and by the distribution of leaflets throughout
the schools in the district. In most of the private schools also
these leaflets were distributed.
It was suggested tentatively that as a general rule Schicktesting
should be carried out only in the case of children over ten
years of age, though arrangements could be made for any under
this age to be done, if desired. The following results of tests
carried out on a few children proved a justification for this:—
Percentage of Schick positives in those under 11 years of age 100
(14), amongst those of 11 and 12 years of age 76 (30), and of those
13 to 15 years of age 71 (35). (The figures in brackets were the
number of children tested.)
For the period March to June the number of children
immunized was very gratifying, but then it fell to quite small
proportions. A few more were done in the late autumn as the
result of again drawing attention of the public to the advisability
of young children being immunized. Altogether some 1,804
children were immunized in the year under this scheme.
To this number, however, must be added quite a large number
of those done privately by the medical practitioners of children
whose parents' income was outside the scale within which this
service was provided. Altogether during the year some 7,548 units
of T.A.M. were issued from this department, indicating that some
2,500 children would have been treated. Many practitioners
purchased their own supplies direct so that this figure does not
represent the total of those treated.
It is questionable whether these same numbers would have
accepted treatment had arrangements been made in the more
usual way, either at clinics or at the schools. Many parents on
having their attention drawn to the subject would have consulted
their medical practitioners, who would in such circumstances
doubtless have advised them to have their children immunized.
On the other hand, when the immunizing is carried out at the
schools, the fact that the children make little fuss allays the fears
on the part of the parents, with the result that large numbers of
scholars are treated.
If the lack of response in the autumn is an index for the future,
then before any further large number are to be treated in this
district either a reliable "one-shot" antigen must be produced or
an effort must be made to treat the children in the schools.
All children who received their three doses of T.A.M.—and
apparently there was very little defaulting on the part of those who