AVOIDING EPIDEMIC.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 146, 2 April 1941, Page 4

AVOIDING EPIDEMIC.

PREVENTION OF DIPHTHERIA

TREATMENT TX ARE BURTON Treatments to immunise children against diphtheria will bo given in Ashburton in the, near future under the system introduced by the Department of Healtb.

Leaflets oil the subject have /been sent to the pa,rents of children attending the Borough School setting out the need for the treatment and ineluding a form of consent to ho signed by tin 1 parents or guardians. The form -cf consent is; “1 hereby consent that the child or children named hereunder should receive preventive injections against diphtheria, a,s advised by the New Zealand' Department of Health.” It is possible to protect children from the disease, which causes much illness, some of it fatal, every year, stated Dr. Bruker (School Medical Officer) in, conversation with a “Guardian” reporter this morning. Dr. Bruker is at present carrying out an examination of children at the Borough -School and is also examining children under school age, advising on treatments that may be found necessary.

Children between, ope year and five; years were most likely* to suffer from diphtheria, Dr. Bruker said, and the Department hoped to safeguard, children through t-'he dangerous years. To this end it was offering protection to children below seven years of age, to those not .yet attending school and those in the first-year classes at school. The treatments had been given for a long time in the North Island, whefte diphtheria was more likely to break out, and . many thousands of children had already been given. injections. Experience had shown that injection gave over 97 per cent, of protection in New Zealand. The system followed was that which had, been adopted throughout the United States and Canada, where the incidence of the disease had shown a, remarkable, decrease. A skin test was made first and then at intervals of a month for three months skin injections were made. It was pointed out that the younger the children are the less the upsetting effect on the children would be, but m any case the effects of the injection were minor.

Forms of consent were issued yesterday and already a large number have been signed hv parents and returned to the doctor. .. -