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B.C.G. Vaccination against Tuberculosis.
B.C.G. Vaccination of schoolchildren at about the age of 13 is carried out under
Section 28 of the National Health Service Act. During 1969, 2044 schoolchildren were
skin-tested and the details are as follows:—
No. skin tested 2044 (1655)
No. found positive 176 (1422)
No. found negative 1766 (226)
No. vaccinated 1806 *(224)
The figures in brackets show the number of schoolchildren who were re-tested
during the year.
*Children with Grade 1 positive reactions are now being vaccinated.
As a result of a report from a Chest Physician that a School Canteen Worker
showed signs of infection, it was decided as a precautionary measure that all teaching
and non-teaching staff should have a Mass X-Ray and all children who had been in
contact should be skin-tested.
All tests proved negative.
AFTER CARE FACILITIES.
The Council operates a free milk and extra nourishment scheme for chest cripples.
Persons in need are recommended for this service by the Medical Social Workers of
the chest clinics serving the Borough. Persons in receipt of supplementary benefit from
the Department of Health and Social Security are automatically elegible, others are
assessed according to income to ascertain their eligibility. Persons whose income does
not allow them to come within the Council's scheme may, if appropriate, be referred
to the Richmond upon Thames Chest and Tuberculosis Care Committee.
Patients receiving free milk only 18 (21)
Patients receiving extra nourishment only 4 (4)
Patients receiving both free milk and extra nourishment 13 (15)
(Figures in brackets show comparable figures for 1968).
One patient in receipt of the service died, leaving 35 patients in the scheme as at
the 31st December, 1969. Two orders which were cancelled during the year due to
short stay in hospital were reinstated on discharge from hospital.
The Richmond upon Thames Chest and Tuberculosis Care Committee also continued
to undertake after care of chest cripples for the whole Borough.
I am indebted to Mrs. M. Jolliffe, Chairman, and her colleagues for the following
report on the progress of the Organisation during the year.
"The year 1969 was the first full year during which the local Council had
once again taken over the responsibility for the allocation of free milk and extra
nourishment. The Committee was thus able to concentrate on giving to patients
those types of assistance that would not be covered by Council or Social Security
payments. The money for this work was, of course, mainly forthcoming from the
sale of Christmas Seals, but partly from a welcome grant from the local Council.
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