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attended, i.e. 58 per cent. of the total invited. Of these 117, 69
per cent. completed the skin test. Again of the 115 who did not
attend the previous check-up, 32 attended during 1957.
(c) B.C.G. Vaccination of School Leavers.—The scheme
followed was described in the Report for 1954 and continued
during the year under review.
Unfortunately it is still considered necessary by the Ministry
of Health to supply the vaccine through the Local Health Authority
at Chelmsford instead of direct, and on three occasions special
arrangements had to be hurriedly improvised since the supply had
not arrived at the proper time.
The Heaf multiple puncture apparatus has been used exclusively
during 1957 and with complete success.
All secondary schools have been visited during the year and
of the 1,926 children invited 1,246 accepted, giving an acceptance
rate of 64.7 per cent.
1957 1956 1955
Number of Heaf positive 165 176 109
Percentage positive 13.8 14.2 13.0
Number of Heaf negative 1,026 1,064 740
Number absent 55 28 8
B.C.G. given 1,026 1,053 728
Absent or not done 11 12
By arrangement with the Chest Physician all the Heaf positive
children were offered chest x-ray at the Chest Clinic. None were
found to have active disease.
No complications as defined in Section 18 of the Ministry of
Health Memo 324/BCG have arisen, although many children have
been seen with small ulcers which are a normal concomitant of
successful vaccination. These children have been seen mainly
owing to parental apprehension, although a fully explanatory leaflet
is given to each child vaccinated.
Arrangements have continued for family doctors to be notified
when children on their lists in this age group are Heaf positive
or have been vaccinated.
829 conversion tests were carried out on children who were
given B.CG. in 1956. Nine gave a negative result to the test but
all showed a good vaccination scar.