View report page

Supply of antitoxin to practitioners. A supply of diphtheria
antitoxin is kept at the Health Department for the use of practitioners
who may desire to begin treatment before the patient is
removed to hospital. After office hours antitoxin may be obtained
from the Isolation Hospital. During the year 1937 seven requests
for antitoxin were received by the department from local practitioners,
and the average amount issued per patient was 18,000
units.
The number of requests for the years 1932 to 1936
inclusive were 8, 15, 31, 26 and 3 respectively. It would seem that
there is normally little demand for this service, and that it is only
when diphtheria becomes especially prevalent or virulent that any
large call is made upon it. From the point of view of treatment
there is no doubt that the most satisfactory procedure is to admit
the patient to hospital at the earliest possible moment.
Immunization against diphtheria. Immunization against
diphtheria is carried out at three clinics; the majority of the
children are immunized at West Ham Lane clinic. In addition,
immunization of children who have been admitted to Plaistow
Hospital for various reasons is carried out at the hospital. Particulars
of the latter service are given in the report of the medical
superintendent.
Immunization is also carried out by general practitioners
who receive the immunizing reagent from the Public Health
Department.
During the year 1937 the total number of children immunized
at the clinics was 557. Of these, 349 were under five years of
age and 208 were over five years of age.
The number of final Schick tests carried out at the clinics
was 389. Of these only 11 gave a positive result. In each of
these cases further doses were given and further tests were carried
out.
The number of children immunized by practitioners was 19.
The question of diphtheria in immunized children is dealt
with in the report of the medical superintendent of Plaistow
Hospital.
I do not propose to deal further with the question of
the prevention of diphtheria in this report. A brief review of the
position is sufficient to show that the proportion of the child population
which has been immunized is low, and that the number of
susceptible children in the community must be large.
132