CHILDREN'S HEALTH

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 31, 6 February 1943, Page 6

CHILDREN'S HEALTH

IMMUNISATION PLANS . DIPHTHERIA, WHOOPING COUGH Immunisation of school children and pre-schoof children against diphtheria and whooping cough is to be carried out at a number of Auckland schools, beginning on February 15. The Health Department advises that all parents desiring their children to be immunised should sign and return the consent forms sent out by the. headmasters. Parents with younger children not attending school are also entitled to the service, and may bring their children to the appropriate school at 10 a.m.. It is the pre-school age children who have the highest incidence and mortality rate in these diseases and, therefore, parents are urged to have them immunised. The ideal age for innoculation is 12 months. The following are the dates for the various schools: Richmond Road, February 15; Beresford Street, 17th; Napier Street, 22nd; Parnell, 24th; Orakei, March 1. Arrangements for other districts will be announced later. It is intended to begin immunisation against whooping cough towards the end of the month. Parents with children over six months, who wish them to be innoculated, are advised to contact the Health Department. The medical officer of health, Mr. G. Dempster, said to-day that whooping cough innoculation on such a scale as this had never been attempted before. This Avas because the vaccine formerly used was not reliable; consequently the Health Department did not adopt it widely. Now, however, a new improved vaccine was being used, and it took four injections.