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Chronicle (Levin), 27 June 1946, Page 3

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the Dcpartnient or Hoalth.)

+ DIPHTHERIA

(II v

"r"Tn BiTt'aiii^ixeaAy sixrhliTl'ion''hiilLcl'fCir ha.vc alroady been iinuiunised ugainat diphtlieria. Tliree million ehildreu are left unprotccted. Tliis year the Minis- ! try of Health is trying to have the re- ■ maiuder iinuiunised. The work nlready done is nlready bringing results. Sinee the imniunisation cumpuigu started the nuniber of deaths from diphtlieria has falleu to one-third of the pre-war average. i lu our eountry patents are not yet : eonvineed of the need for diphtlieria ' proteetion. At least that is the iufereiico when so few of our children are ; iiiiinunised each year, iu spite of the ifact that botli the Health Dcpartnient .and nearly all privute practitioners are anxious to give tliis proteetion. In u few areas there is a general wislt to have children iinuiunised, but in most pJaces the majority of fathers and . mothers are cu less or thouglitless ' about tliis life-suving procedure. For that is wliat it is. The Hnglish experience is that imniunisation means 30 . linies less chance of dying from dipli- : theria. j A clean home, good food and fresli air won't keep your cliild safe from i diphtlieria. It is caused by germs wliich ' spread from oue cliild to another and ; there are always souie iieople in the j neigh bourhood who are carrying tne inl'ection in their noses or tliroats — healthy carriers. Little children bear ; the brunt of this disease. Afore tlian , eight out of ten who die from diphtlieria are children uged 10 nnd under, arnl it'is children uuder four years of age who are in the greatcst dauger from dijilitheria. That is wliv we waut evcry baby protected bel'ore its (irst birthday. Immunisation is a simple way of teaciiing ; the bodv to organise its own natural j dei'ences against diphtlieria, well aliead ; of an attack. All that is needed is ' two, or at the most tliree, injections of i a few drops of protecting matcrial into j the skin of the arai. Fathers sometimes stop their children haviug injections because they themselves likd ' swollen sore arms when given proteci tive inoculations against typhoid or j something else wlien in the armed ■forees. But diphtlieria proteetion is | not like that. Babies and little ehil- | dren may be worried by the skin priek j but that is all; it is extremely rare for a young child to have reaetions to the j injections. ! Do not hesitate. Have baby protect- ' ed before the first birthday, and all ■ your youuger children, too, if they ! missed out as babies.