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22
been distributed to all children who are not immunised. As a
result all special immunisation sessions were full most of the year,
and a doctor has held part sessions at schools where many children
applied for treatment. Nearly every patient immunised in 1942
was an objector in earlier years because more than 5,000 children of
school age were already completely immunised prior to 1942.
Every patient has a final Schick test performed to assure that
treatment has been effectual. About 5 per cent. still prove Schick
positive: the dose is increased with a further test three months later.
Every child has finally become negative. Only one patient has
developed diphtheria after being fully immunised, and this was a
mild case.
Bacteriological Examinations.
Culturing and examination of Swabs from suspected diphtheria
patients has continued in the Council's laboratory; contacts or exhospital
patients have been tested as before by the "three negative
swab" method, and the virulence test for chronic carriers has been
undertaken where necessary by the Pathologist at the Prince of
Wales's General Hospital.
Infectious Diseases.
By early 1942 so many school children had returned from
evacuation that I decided to include again an infectious disease
table in this report. Mumps, chicken pox and scarlet fever seemed
to have increased, but oases have been exceptionally mild, and
probably some were so slight that they were not detected. Certainly
this occurred with scarlet fever in a few schools, where nothing
could be found until the child was actually desquamating. Milk
supplies were examined and were not a cause of these cases.
The great reduction in Diphtheria is remarkable. It may
be only temporary, but we have reason to hope that immunisation
is responsible, especially when whole families are afflicted except,
the immunised members.
Weekly lists of infections supplied by Head Teachers have continued
to be most helpful, especially with diseases not notifiable.
From these lists home visits of great value have been made by the
School Nurses.