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series of six to ten lessons or even a single talk on a particular
subject such as "Mothercraft" for school leavers, "Child Care",
"Eirst Aid", "Home Nursing", "Care of the Teeth". These periods are
popular with the children and every effort is made to capture their
interest by a practical approach. The senior girls spend a few
sessions with the health visitor at a baby clinic or a mothers' club,
so that they can be taught child development from observation. Those
who show particular interest are allowed to spend a day or two at a
day nursery. Health visitors also seek to interest the more senior
boys and girls in helping the elderly and in one or two instances
arrangements have been made with the co-operation of the heads of
secondary schools to run a shopping and visiting service„
VACCINATION AM) IMMUNISATION
The acceptance rate by parents for vaccination and
immunisation is reasonable in the borough. There was a further fall
in the number of primary vaccinations and immunisations recorded, but
this was partly due to a fall in the number of births. Mainly, these
reductions in the recorded figures relating to primary immunisation
are due to a change in the immunisation programme schedulesp effective
from December 1968 whereby primary immunisation is not commenced until
the sixth month of life, whereas previously it commenced during the
third month,, Consequently these courses of immunisation are not now
completed until the babies are a year old.
Tetanus and poliomyelitis booster immunisations are now
offered at the time of leaving school instead of at eight years of age.
As the Department of Health and Social Security does not require to be
informed of the numbers of these boosters where the persons are over
sixteen years of age, such immunisations are not recorded. This
accounts for the numbers shown being lower than the corresponding
figures for 1968.