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PROPHYLAXIS
30.1.1 Vaccination and immunisation has continued to be provided at the Council's
maternal and child welfare centres, through the school health service, or by the family
doctor. The following schedule of immunisation, adopted in July 1966, has remained
unchanged throughout 1967 and 1968:-
Ideal age Immunisation against
3 months Diphtheria/Whooping Cough/Tetanus - Poliomyelitis
4 months " " " " "
5 months " " " " "
17 months Smallpox
18 months Diphtheria/Whooping Cough/Tetanus - Poliomyelitis
4Vi to 5 years Diphtheria/Tetanus - Poliomyelitis
30.1.2 The immunisation follow-up scheme continued to operate throughout the period
under review. In this scheme, a periodic check is made, health visitors then being notified
of children under the age of 5 years who have not started,or have failed to complete,
primary courses of immunisation. It has been found that constant encouragement of
mothers by health visitors has considerably more effect than postal reminders in persuading
them to have their children protected.
30.1.3 Despite efforts, there was a fall in the number of children vaccinated during
the first two quarters of 1967 as compared with the previous year and it was decided to
investigate the cause. On 1st September 1967 a physical check on the vaccination state
of all children born in September 1966 was carried out in all child welfare centres. It
was found that no less than 43 per cent, of the 418 children born in Camden during
September 1966, or born elsewhere during that month but known to have moved into the
Borough since then, had moved away and contact with them had been lost. Of the remaining
children, 94.8 per cent, had either completed, or were undergoing, the course of
triple antigen and 94.2 per cent, either had been, or were in the process of being, protected
against poliomyelitis.
30.1.4 In September smaller surveys were carried out at two clinics in different parts
of the Borough on two particular groups of children. These indicated that, by the 12th
month of age, 98 per cent, of the children bom in Camden and attending the child welfare
clinics were satisfactorily immunised against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and
poliomyelitis.
30.2 The following tables give the number of children in the Borough who completed
courses of immunisation during the years 1966 to 1968 inclusive in relation to the child
population.