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26 Report of the Medical Officer of Health for 1932.
1,448 of the persons who have been protected gave a negative
re-Schick test within six months after receiving the last dose
of immunising serum and a further 526 were negative within twelve
months. This means that 1,974 cases were known to have been
immunised within a year. There are good grounds for assuming
that a proportion of the remainder would have been found protected
if they had attended earlier to be re-tested.
In addition to the 2,199 persons who have been protected,
152 have completed the first series of injections but cannot be
recorded as protected because the last re-Schick test has given a
positive result. 63 of these have not attended since this positive
re-test. 76 of them have attended and have received a second
series of injections but have not yet been re-tested after this
series.
In 12 cases the re-Schick test after the second series
was still positive and they have received a third series of injections.
In one case a fourth series of injections was given as the re-Schick
test after the third series was still positive.
A further 887 persons have been given immunising injections
at the Clinics but have not attended to be re-tested, so that it is
impossible to determine the value of the injections they have
received. This number includes 623 who completed the first series
of three injections and 264 who only received one or two
doses.
59 susceptible persons have not yet commenced a course
of injections.
Diphtheria Following Immunising Injections:— Owing
to the fact that immunity does not develop at once it is important
to remember that a child may develop Diphtheria during the
period which elapses between the administration of the immunising
injections and the full establishment of immunity, if exposure
to infection occurs. Parents should be warned on this point.
For the same reason, if immunisation is delayed until an epidemic
of Diphtheria occurs it may easily be carried out too late to prevent
infection.