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95
VACCINATION AND IMMUNISATION
(Section 26)
During 1955 immunisation against diphtheria and whooping
cough continued to be available at all welfare centres and at the
special clinic held weekly at the Town Hall, where vaccination was
also done.
Most medical practitioners in the town also participated in the
County Council's scheme for vaccination and immunisation against
diphtheria and whooping cough, a fee of 5/- being payable for the
completion of a report.
The ideal programme is vaccination against smallpox before the
end of the third month, whooping cough immunisation during
months 4, 5 and 6, and diphtheria immunisation during months 7
and 8, with a "booster" dose immediately before school entry and
preferably another before transfer from the infants to the junior
department, i.e., say about 7 years. A "booster" dose should also
be given against whooping cough before school entry and re- vaccina
tion performed.
Experience in other parts of the country has shown the
absolute need for reinforcing or "booster" doses, especially against
diphtheria.
The following were the attendances during the weekly Town
Hall Clinic:—
Diphtheria Immunisation 230
Whooping Cough Immunisation 188
Vaccination 385
Total 803
This represented an average of 19.6 attendances per session.
There are two attendances for each vaccination and diphtheria
immunisation, and three for each whooping cough immunisation.
No clinics were held during August, September and October owing
to the prevalence of poliomyelitis in this and the adjacent Boroughs.