(3) Vaccination of pre-school children and, if a suit- able method could be determined, newborn children.
170. Phase 1. All schools were dealt with systematically and each child was given an explanatory leaflet to take home to his parents. In all cases where parents did not object, children were tuberculia tested and negative reactors vaccinated. The speed of this operation exceeded all expectations and all schools were dealt with in less than one year, after which plans were made for vaccination of all new entrants.
171. During school holidays various temporary centres were set up at widely scattered locations in the Colony but, despite publicity, the response was disappointing.
172. Phase 2. Largely as a result of the experience of Team IV which found that over 94% of adults (ie. 15 years and upwards) were tuberculin positive, it was decided to modify the original scheme as planned by deleting phase 2 and proceeding to phase 3
173. Phase 8. This phase of the campaign continued in operation at the end of the year. B.C.G. vaccination was offered on a house to house basis to all, irrespective of age but with the particular object of dealing with all pre-school children. At the same time vaccinators attended Infant Welfare Centres, so that those who so desired might have their children vaccinated without delay. There was also one vaccinator carrying out vaccinations of newborn babies at the Queen Mary Hospital, Taan Yuk Hospital, Nethersole Hospital and Eastern Maternity Hospital.
174. Vaccination of newborns would appear to be the procedure of choice in view of the high mortality from tuber- culosis of very young children.
175. Investigations have been carried out to determine a method of vaccination which is suitable for newborn children and which will produce minimum complications. lutradermal inoculation in newborn children presents some technical
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difficulties and requires highly trained operators if complications are to be kept to a minimum. Other methods were explored but the results are not yet available. Eventually it is hoped that all children born in the large maternity institutions will be vaccinated before discharge, while those born elsewhere can be attended to at the child welfare centres.
176. The details of tuberculin testing and vaccinations carried out up to 31st December, 1952 are as follows:
Period covered
Completed Tests
Starting
Positive
Newborn babica Regative Vaccinated vaccinated
Total vaccinated
Frana 1.4.52
206,828
139,490
31,238 98,173
3,120
41,293
na
31.12.52
X-ray Surveys,
177. Surveys were carried out on a limited scale as it was considered that they serve no useful purpose unless it is within the scope of available facilities to assess and deal with the cases found by X-ray. The mobile X-ray unit has a capacity far beyond the other services and as a result is only in part time Each year a survey of Government employees is carried out, the results of this examination during the year under review are as follows:
630.
Total number X-raye
Total requiring clinical check-up
Left service
Non-tubercular
[(a) Active
Tuberculosis: Į (5) Quiescent
(c) Arrested
Total
19,611
2,640
2
129
212
1,993
504
2,640
178. The number of new cases of tuberculosis found as A result of survey was 78.
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