17-21 AGE GROUP FOR POLIO INJECTIONS

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28835, 4 March 1959, Page 9

17-21 AGE GROUP FOR POLIO INJECTIONS

From today poliomyelitis injec- < tions are being offered to youths and girls between the ages of 17 and 21. This latest phase in the ' inoculation programme is expec- 1 ted to be the most difficult yet attempted. I “Young people in this age group are not very health conscious and 1 generally resent parental dictation," said the medical officer of : health (Dr. A. Douglas). For this reason, and partly because there is no ready-made channel of approach, the Health Department expects the acceptance figure to be lower. i With school children, where the school provided the means to approach the parents, the acceptance rate was about 90 per cent., said Dr. Douglas. With the pre-school children, where the parents had to make their own approaches to the department, the rate was a little lower, and much more effort had to be expended. “Employers can help by encouraging young workers to be vaccinated and, as the clinics will be arranged in working hours, by giving them time off to attend.” Poliomyelitis was often referred to as infantile paralysis. Dr. Douglas said. Figures showed that the proportion of young adults who . contracted the disease was very high. Clinics will again be arranged i at the Department of Health, but there will be others at the Ad-

dington Workshops social hall, at Woolston, the Papanui Returned Services’ Association hall, the Carlyle street hall, and the Lyttelton Waterside Workers’ hall. The sites of the clinics have been chosen because they are in the areas of greatest industrialisation. Those in the 17-21 age group are asked to ring the Health Department (Telephone 62-446), giving their name, address, age, and the clinic which they wish to attend. They will then receive by post an appointment and a card which they will fill in and bring with them at the time of the first injection. The full course is of two injections at intervals separated by about three months, and a booster. Those coming forward will be advised later of the time of subsequent injections. For those over 16 who have left school the consent of the parents is not necessary. Groups of employees will be handled together, and country clinics will be arranged. “I would like to point out that we have so far given about 300,000 injections and in only one case has there been an adverse reaction," said Dr. Douglas. “Even in this case the patient later made a complete recovery.” The campaign would last about two months and a half: that was the life of the vaccine.