Protecting Children Against Diphtheria

Northern Advocate, 28 July 1939, Page 4

Protecting Children Against Diphtheria

Approximately 900 schoolchildren in Whangarei have been treated for diphtheria immunisation by Dr. C. 13. Gilberd, District Medical Officer of Helath. as part of a campaign which will be eventually extended throughout Northland.

One more injection is required to complete the immunisation of the Whangarei and Whau Valle;/ primary schools, while two are required at the Hora Hora and Convent schools. Parents’ Good Response.

“I am very pleased with the response by parents in giving their children opportunity to secure protection against such a serious disease.” stated Dr. Gilberd to-day.

“The children themselves have accepted the treatment very happily, and seemed unperturbed by the injections.”

He added that a few young people who had missed the preliminary injections could not, unfortunately, now be fitted in with the programme, but special arrangements would be made in their interests.

In the meantime, it was gratifying to note the number of children of proschool age who had been brought along by . their mothers for treatment. Effective Treatment. Dr. Gilberd said that in Canada, where large-scale immunisation had been carried out, diphtheria had become a very rare disease. It was to be anticipated that, in New Zaland, in districts where complete immunisation was secured, there should be a low incidence. Procedure Outlined. Explaining, the procedure adopted in treatment, Dr. Gilberd said that in the case of each child a preliminary skin test was taken, with the object of determining the dose which could safely be administered. The subsequent inoculation was thus rendered a safe process, because of having determined the child’s reaction. On the following day the first injection was given, to be followed by two further injections at threeweekly intervals. The experience of children treated was that the treatment was practically painless, only a slight bruised feeling to the arm on which the injection was made constituting the total reaction.

In only a few cases was there a skin reaction, with a slight soreness for a few days. Dr. Gilberd intends to proceed with the treatment in other districts, where diphtheria is known to exist, or where carriers are found, the presence of the disease being a guide to the order in which remaining Northland schools will be treated. In addition to the pupils at the Whangarei schools, the Maungaturoto schoolchildren have already been treated. Hukerenui school will be visited next week, following which Kaitaia will be the next district dealt with.

Dr. Gilberd expressed thanks to the school staffs and the sisters of the Whangarei Convent, by whose cooperation the treatment had already been facilitated.