POLIOMYELITIS VACCINE

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28089, 3 October 1956, Page 6

POLIOMYELITIS VACCINE

1350 INOCULATIONS IN CANTERBURY

Poliomyelitis vaccinations of nine-year-old children in Banks Peninsula schools were completed on the fourth day of the Christchurch health district campaign yesterday. So far, 1350 of the 12,000 children eligible have been inoculated against the disease, and 52 schools have been visited by the four Health Department inoculation teams. On Monday schools at Little River. Birdling’s Flat, Hilltop, Barry’s Bay, and Duvauchelle were visited. Inoculations at other schools on Banks Peninsula were completed yesterday. North Canterbury schools are also being visited, and children at Kaikoura, Kaiapoi, Belfast, Waiau, Rotherham, and have already been inoculated.

•• “The inoculation teams are doing their job well, and everything is going according to plan.” said the District Medical Officer of Health (Dr. A. Douglas) yesterday. “Some parents have told us their children will not be available for the second injection in a few weeks’ time. Although the two injections will give the greatest possible immunity against the paralytic form of poliomyelitis, no ill effects will result from a child having only one injection. There will merely be a lower degree of immunity.” On his return from Blenheim, after supervising the inoculation of children in the Blenheim-Nelson area, the Assistant Medical Officer of Health (Dr. H. T. Knights) said the programme there was going smoothly.

The first of the second injections for nine-year-old children will be given on October 23.

VACCINATIONS IN KAIKOURA AREA

A Health Department team,-led by Dr. E. Needham, of Christchurch, and the district health nurse,- Miss D. N. Hallidav, inoculated about 186 children with poliomyelitis vaccine in eight schools in the Kaikoura county yesterday and on Monday. The eight schools which have so far been visited by the team are the Kaikoura District High School, and the Oaro, Conwav Flat. St. Joseph’s Convent. Suburban. Hapuku, Marrgamaunu, and W.oodbank (Clarence Bridge) Schools.