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Diphtheria
The district was again free from diphtheria for yet another year,
the fourth in succession.
Diphtheria Immunisation
After nearly 20 years' experience, the schcme for diphtheria
immunisation has become well organised and established, but it is
becoming more difficult in the absence of diphtheria for several years
to convince parents that only by maintaining a high level of immunity
in the majority of the child population can there be any assurance that
our present freedom from this disease will continue. It is as well to
remind ourselves that this infection is attended by a significant mortality
and, at best, by a long period of incapacity with the liability to
permanent after-effects.
The scheme, as organised locally, aims at conferring artificial
immunity by a primary course of injections, usually two of A.P.T.
at an interval of four weeks, by the time the child reaches its first
birthday. Thereafter this immunity should be reinforced at school age
and subsequently at intervals of three years until the child enters
secondary school. This is achieved by offering treatment facilities at
the Welfare and School Clinics and by holding immunisation sessions
in the schools every alternate term.
In our assessment of the level of immunity, emphasis is now
wisely laid not on the number of children who, at some time or other,
have had immunisation treatment, but on the number under 15 years
of age who have received primary or reinforcing injections within the
last five years.
During 1953, 709 resident children received a primary course of
injections as follows:
48