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24 Report of the Medical Officer of Health for 1930.
children for the re-test in about four to six months and many of
them come about that time. A considerable proportion, however,
fail to attend for the re-test and some fail to complete the
course of injections.
The number of persons attending the Clinics who required
immunisation was 2,116. This number is made up of the 1,429
who were found to be Schick positive after the initial test, and the
687, who were assumed to be susceptible without a test. The
subsequent history of these 2,116 persons is given in the following
statement:—
No. who were immunised and found to be
Protected as shown by a Negative
re-Schick Test 1272
No. who received a course of injections but
are not yet protected as the re-Schick
Test is still positive 142
No. who received injections, the value of which
is not known as they have not attended to
be retested 681
Schick positive cases who were not injected 21
Total number of Susceptibles 2116
This statement shows that 1,272, or 60 per cent, of the
susceptible persons who attended the Centres in three years have
been protected. Further particulars about the protected persons
are given in Table XIV. where they are divided into age groups
and sexes, and in Table XV. which shows the number of doses
and the time required to produce immunity. In most of the
1,272 cases a negative result was obtained on the first occasion
when the re-test was performed, but in some instances one or
more positive results preceded the final negative reading. Only
the final negative results of the re-tests are recorded in Table
XV.
A study of this tabular statement brings out several facts
of interest. The majority of the cases—1,168 out of the total
of 1,272—became protected after the routine of three injections
had been given. In 18 instances the retest was done and found