SERUM FOR MEASLES
PREVENTIVE TREATMENT
(From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, October 27.
The report of the London County Couu'cil on the 1931-32 measles epidemic describes for the first time tho result of the preventive use of measles serum on a large scale. The serum used was derived not only from measles convalescents, but from healthy adults. The scarcity of convalescent serum made this a necessity, and it was reasoned that since the avorago adult is immune from measles, his blood would possess specific "antibodies." This contention proved correct. Ihc scrum was used with two objects, either to prevent the child from contracting measles or to attenuate the attack. The investigation included the study of 2362 children of all ages up to ten. Of these, 680 were treated by convalescent serum, 1475 by adult serum, and 207 were not injected and acted as controls.
The remarkable success of this preventive treatment is indicated by the following results: — In 90 per cent, of' the cases in which convalescent serum was \ used, measles were entirely prevented.! Where adult serum was- employed to prevent infection, nearly 80 per cent, escaped. Among the untreated children who acted as controls, only 21 per cent. escaped infection.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19331130.2.28
Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 131, 30 November 1933, Page 5
Word Count
200SERUM FOR MEASLES Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 131, 30 November 1933, Page 5
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Evening Post. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Log in