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"the B.C.G, vaccine distributed at present by the Ministry of
Health is intended essentially for use in groups who may be heavily
exposed to tuberculosis. This is because there is strong suggestive
evidence from investigators abroad that in selected groups exposed to
high contact risks (persons in tuberculous families, hospital workers,
etc.) B.C.G. vaccine affords some protection against the type of disease
which may immediately follow natural primary infection. It is on this
basis that the administration of B.C.G. vaccine to selected groups Is
Justifiable. However, there is little direct unequivocal evidence of
the vale of B.C.G. vaccine in persons exposed to the ordinary conditions
of life in this country. There is certainly nothing which would allow
a public health administrator to weigh the advantages quantitatively of
mass immunisation of school leavers, or of any other general section of
the population in Great Britain. against the money, manpower and effort
involved, which might be devoted to other anti-tuberculosis measures.
There are, in fact, very few controlled trials on the ordinary population
anywhere. In short, the question as to whether anti-tuberculosis
vaccine should be used as a method of mass immunisation in countries such
as our own, has not been satisfactorily answered. It is this question
with which we are particularly concerned, and which we would like to
answer through the trial now being planned, the trial has the full
approval of the Ministry of Health.
The trial involves at the outset children leaving secondary
modern schools at the age of 15 and it is proposed to follow them up
by regular examinations for at least three years. Participants In
the trial will be volunteers."
As a preliminary before the trials commenced, a meeting took
place on 25th October 1950, at which were present the Medical Officer of
Health, the Chief Education Officer, the Head Teachers concerned, and
Dr. W. Pointon Dick, Director of the Tuberculosis Research Unit of the
Medical Research Council, Dr. Dick outlined the reasons for and the
method of these trials in school ieavers.
The Head Teachers of the secondary schools agreed to co-operate
in the scheme.
The schoolchildren involved in the trial were those due to
leave school at Easter 1951 at the age of 15 years and accordingly a list
of such "leavers" was prepared the parents of whom were sent a printed
pamphlet from the Research Council and a personal letter from the Medical
Officer of Health, requesting them to allow their children to participate
as volunteers in the trial, and if willing to complete a circulated
questionnaire.
The Head Teachers were active In their co-operation, convened
meetings of parents to explain the scheme and at some of these meetings
the Medical Officer of Health also attended and talked to them. The
general practitioners in the area were also notified.
As a result, out of 307 school leavers, 126 volunteers (boys
and girls) completed all the three tests, of which 45 were positive to
either of the two tuberculin tests, 38 had B.C.G. vaccination and 32
were held as controls.
The tests were carried out at the Town Hall Annexe on December
1st, 4th and 7th and the children whose parents allowed them to volunteer
are pupils at the following schools, Napier Modern for Boys, Central Park
Modern for Boys, Cornwell Modern for Boys, Sandringham Modern for Boys,
and girls from Monega, Essex, Vicarage and Brampton Modern Schools,
The trials proceed, and further reports will be rendered from
time to time.