Protecting Children From Diphtheria

Northern Advocate, 13 June 1939, Page 6

Protecting Children From Diphtheria

As part of its preventive medical campaign, the Department of Health is undertaking the immunisation of children in Northland against diphtheria.

To this end parents of children attending the Whangarei Primary School have been circularised with a view to securing their consent to the treatment.

As opportunity permits. Hora Horn and Whau Valley schools will also be dealt with, following which a start will be made with Dargaville, Kawakawa, Kaikohe, Kaitaia and Rawene schools in that order.

Maungaturoto school has already been treated, 153 children having already received one injection of speci-ally-prepared anatoxin serum, with a further injection to follow this week.

Routine Measure

!: The measure is purely routine, and is part of the public health campaign,” stated the District Medical Officer of Health, Dr. C. B. Gilbord, yesterday. “Although the disease is by no means prevalent in Northland, Isolated cases have been occurring, and, during the process of swabbing, carriers have been located.

. “It is our duty to give every parent the opportunity of having his children protected. “The injection, which is painless and has no after-effects, guarantees immunity in a very high percentage.” Year’s Work. Dr. Gilberd said that it was possible to innoculate from 150 to 200 children a day, and, at this rate, the whole Northland area should be completed in a year. The three diseases from which protection was necessary in the district were diphtheria, typhoid and smallpox, and already every Maori child in Northland was innoculated against typhoid. In the case of diphtheria, two. and sometimes three, injections are necessary at three-weekly intervals.

Prior to treatment, skin tests are taken to ensure that the innoculation will be effective.