View report page

Over 50,000 volunteers from North London areas, Manchester
and Birmingham are taking part. Of these, 389 come from
Loughton. The volunteers all entered the scheme during their
last terms at Secondary Modern Schools, and all had a chest
X-ray and skin test. A proportion were then given the vaccine,
and all must now be followed up for three years to determine
its value.
The follow-up consists of an annual chest X-ray, the first
part of which was carried out in the evenings during May, 1952,
and January, 1953 at Houghton Hall Health Services Clinic by
the Unit's Mobile X-Ray van, and a high proportion of the
young people kept their appointments.
Dr. J. M. Pollock, Physician-in-Charge of the trials, writes:—
"The good response was encouraging both because of
the research and also because of the great value to
young people of a chest X-ray, at an age when pulmonary
tuberculosis is common and often unsuspected.
Much of the credit for the good progress made should
be accorded to the Health Visitors who visit each volunteer
once a year. This work, often involving repeated
visits, has been painstakingly and enthusiastically
carried out, and the interest of the parents and volunteers
in the trial, and their response to the invitation
for X-ray, are a reflection of the efforts made. We look
forward to working with them during the next two
years."
SMALLPOX VACCINATION is still declining in popularity,
despite repeated warnings of the increasing danger of importation
of this disease due to the greater popularity of longdistance
air-travel. Less than half the babies born in the district
are now vaccinated. Apart from the greater risk of complications
when the first (primary) vaccination is delayed until an
outbreak of smallpox actually occurs, there is also the added
danger that it may then be too late to be effective. Vaccination
is of course, a free service provided by the family doctor under
the National Health Service and should be carried out as soon
as possible after the child is three months old.
FOOD POISONING.
There were thirteen cases notified. An outbreak of five cases
was due to bacterial (Salmonella typhimurium) infection of
duck egg; five single unassociated cases were due to Salmonella
infections. In three cases no cause could be ascertained.
4