Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth, Metropolitan Borough]
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Infective Diseases.
It is important in this connection to remember that a
child may develop Diphtheria during the period which elapses
between the administration of the immunising doses and the
full establishment of immunity, if exposure to infection occurs.
Parents should be warned on this point. Further, immunisation
carried out during an epidemic of Diphtheria may easily be
too late to prevent infection occurring.
In order to determine whether immunity has been established,
it is essential for a re-Schick test to be performed
after an interval, and no case can
be said to have been immunised
successfully until the re-test gives a negative result.
The practice which has been followed at the Clinics is to
advise a re-test about three months after the last immunising
dose has been given. If the result is still positive, another
re-test is advised after a further interval, and in some cases
when a positive reaction persists, additional immunising doses
have to be given.
Attendances .—The number of persons who attended the Clinics during the year, and the number susceptible to Diphtheria, is shown in the following statement :—
No. of persons who attended the Clinics % | No. of susceptibles who required Immunisation. | |
---|---|---|
Tested by Schick Test | 896 | 655 |
Young children, assumed susceptible without Testing | 269 | 269 |
For Re-testing after immunisation elsewhere | 3 | — |
Total number of persons who came to the Clinics | 1168 | — |
Total number of susceptibles who required immunisation | 924 |
Schick Test Results.—Table XIII. gives the details in
regard to the 896 cases on whom the primary Schick test was
performed. The cases are divided into age groups and the