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carried out. As those who have already been exposed to infection do not
need the injection, the procedure is first to carry out a tuberculin test.
Those who react negatively are given an injection. Those reacting positively
are referred to the chest clinic for examination. It has proved possible
to carry out these tests on the relevant children at all schools in the
course of the year, the pupils at the Secondary Modern schools being
dealt with in the Spring term, those at the Grammar schools in the Summer
term and those at the Independent schools in the Autumn term. The
following is a summary of the work carried out in 1959:—

The corresponding figures for 1958 are shown in brackets. Of the
negative reactors, 2,107 were given B.C.G. Many were not inoculated
at the time of testing mainly because of recent poliomyelitis injections.
In this country, inoculation by B.C.G. with a view to protection
against tuberculosis was not carried out as a routine practice on any
scale until the findings of a field investigation conducted by the Medical
Research Council were reported in 1956. This trial showed that the
inoculation resulted in a marked reduction in the incidence of tuberculosis
amongst the vaccinated as compared with what they might have been
expected to have had if they had not been vaccinated. It showed too that
the protection conferred by the vaccine was evident soon after it had been
given, and was still substantial after two to two and a half years. At the
time the report appeared it could only refer to protection for that length
of time as up to then only that period had elapsed.
It was on this report that the Minister authorised school children
of thirteen years of age being given the opportunity of being inoculated
with B.C.G. It is under this authority that the County Council arranged
for these facilities being made available for children of these ages in the
county.
The M.R.C. trial which was begun in 1950 is still in progress. A
second report has now been issued. The findings are that:—
During the five-year period the annual incidence of tuberculosis
in the B.C.G. vaccinated group was 0.38 per thousand compared with
2.29 per thousand amongst those in the tuberculin negative unvaccinated
group. This represents a reduction attributable to vaccination of 83%'.