NEW VACCINATION ORDER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20832, 26 September 1929, Page 11

NEW VACCINATION ORDER.

INSTRUCTIONS TO DOCTORS,

ONE INSERTION. NOT FOUR,

(From Ocm Own Correspondent.)

..LONDON, August 23. Important changes in the rules governing vaccination are made in an order which has been issued by the Minister of Health, Mr W. Greenwood, and which comes into force on October I. Reference is made in a circular accompanying the order to the mysterious new disease known as post-vaccinal encephalitis (brain inflammation), a number of deaths from which has alarmed the public this year. The circular recalls the remarks of the Ministry of Health Committee of experts in its report last year that such cases are of serious import and cannot fail to have an effect on vaccination.

The committee also pointed to the extreme rarity of such manifestations, particularly after revaccination and after primary vaccination in early infancy, and concluded that early infancy remains the time of choice for primary vaccination. In view of the fact that post-vaccinal disease has occurred mainly in children of school age and adolescents, the Minister recommends that: So long as the smallpox prevalent in this country retains its present mild character, it is not generally expedient to press for the vaccination of ■lersons of these -ages who have not previously been vaccinated. Based on the report of a committee appointed by the Ministry in conjunction 'Vith the Medical Research Council, the order lays it down that in future there mall be: Only one insertion in ordinary ases; the inspection of all children vacv.nated; free additional treatment when accessary ftfr children ■ vaccinated by a public vaccinator;, and revaccinatiou at a v; time, instead of only after 10 years. . ' -bTie aim'of the vaccinator,” it is •stated, should be to produce the most mccessful results with the minimum of injury.”

NERVOUS DISEASE. " Attention is drawn to the occurrence of post-vaccinal nervous disease.” committee points out,” it is stated, that, however seldom such cases may occur, they are of serious import cannot tazl to have an effect on vaccination both in its administrative and m its purely medical aspects. But the ■•■ommittee also point to the extreme rarity 01 such manifestations, particularly after ie\ accmation and after primary vaccina* tion in early infancy, and they conclude t int early infancy remains the time of .(V™ , P. rl . m ary vaccination. The Minister recognises that ‘postvaccinal nervous disease.’ both in this country and abroad, has occurred mainly in children of school age or adolescents who had never previously been vaccinated, a . , *j ns fact emphasises the desirability of securing the successful vaccination of infants. Whei-e this has not been attained, the question which arises is whether it is advisable to vaccinate children of school age or' adolescents. The Minister is of opinion that, in the present state of knowledge, and so long as the smallpox prevalent in this country retains its present mild character, it is not generally expedient to press for tbo vaccination of persons of these ages who have not previously been vaccinated, unless they have been in personal contact with a case of smallpox or directly exposed to smallpox infection.” “UNKNOWN FACTOR.” Several fatal cases of encephalitis, following vaccination, have been the subject of comment by coronets and medical authorities within recent weeks. In one such case in July, Dr R. L. Guthrie, the Last London coroner, said: It is to bo supposed that some unknown factor exists—perhaps bacterial, or r ,' pa3sinK v * rUB > or atflatent virus which, by means of a reciprocal reaction, determines the occurrence of these accidents. Between,3 and IS is the time that this disease is particularly liable to occur.” The new order makes no reference the use of more dilute lymph.