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merits to vaccinate school children in the
schools
In August sufficient vaccine became
available for vaccination to be introduced for
susceptible children from the age of one year
up to and including the age of 15 years
In the absence of vaccination, measles
must be regarded as a risk to all children and
parents were urged to have their children
protected against the expected measles
epidemic next year
During the year 3651 children under the
age of 16 years received vaccination against
measles No severe reactions were reported
Vaccination and immunisation in childhood
Ministry of Health Circular 29/68 with the
above title was issued to all local authorities
in England and Wales on 28th August It
stated that the Joint Committee on vaccination
and immunisation and the Standing
Medical Advisory Committee of the Central
Health Services Council had reviewed the
schedules of vaccination and immunisation
procedures in childhood and had given
further advice to the Minister on those procedures
and their timing The Minister
recommended the adoption uf the revised
single schedule in place of those hitherto
recommended in the booklet Active Immunisa
tion against Infectious Diseases
The procedures recommended for general
use include vaccination against measles and
several important modifications were made
affecting the minimum age at which immunisation
against diphtheria tetanus pertussis
and poliomyelitis should preferably begin
the intervals between doses in the basic
course of immunisation against these disease
and also of subsequent reinforcing doses
The earliest age at which the primary course
of diphtheria tetanus pertussis (triple)
vaccine should be given is 3 months but a
better response can be expected if the first
injection is delayed to 6 months of age The
desirable interval between the first and
second injection is six weeks and between
the second and third injection six months
or more These intervals offer optimum
protection from three injections and render
unnecessary the giving of a reinforcing
injection during the second year of life
It is recommended that measles and
smallpox vaccination should be given during the
second year of life
Arrangements have been made to introduce the
new schedule on 1st January 1969
The Standing Medical Advisory Committee s
booklet Immunisation against Infectious Disease
was issued in November and replaces the booklet
Active Immunisation against Infectious Diseases
which was first issued in March 1963 and reprinted,
with minor changes in December 1965 and has now
been extensively revised The new edition also
includes advice on passive immunisation particularly
on the use of human normal immunoglobulin in the
prevention of infectious hepatitis, as well as on
active immunisation A new section on vaccination
against anthrax has been added and advice on the
use of influenza vaccines has been brought up to
date
Tuberculosis
Since 1957 protection against tuberculosis has been
offered to secondary school pupils in their penultimate
year The B. C.G vaccine is also used by the
chest clinics for the protection of child contacts
and vaccination is offered to immigrant children of
school age
The usual practice is to do a skin test first and
to give B C.G vaccine to those who do not react to
the test School children showing a positive reaction
are referred to the chest clinic for a chest X ray
as a positive reaction may be due to previous contact
with tuberculosis The number tested and
vaccinated during the year are shown below
Contacts at chest clinics
Number skin tested 301
Number found positive 97
Number found negative 190
Number vaccinated 98
School children and students
Number skin tested 2322
Number found positive 378
Number found negative 1862
Number vaccinated 1520
Influenza
During the autumn considerable concern was expressed
about the possibility of an influenza epidemic The
Hong Kong virus had been identified in this country
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