T.B. IMMUNISATION SOON

Chronicle (Levin), 8 April 1948, Page 7

T.B. IMMUNISATION SOON

. Anstralian Vaccine Being Flown To N,Z. I t ■ A statement that a start had been ; made in Austraiia with the manufac- ; ture of B.C.G. tuberculosis immunisa1 tion vaccine and xhat supplies trans'j ported by air wonld be available to 1 New Zealand, was made by Dr. C.. P. Wilson, medicai superinteudent of the Otaki Sanatorium when reporting to the ; Western Hosirital Districts' Joint ' Sanatorium Oonnnittee yesterday on the conference of tuberculosis ofdcera . held in Wellington in February. The present isuggestion was thal 1 immunisation on a voluntary busis among certain groups of the population should bogin in New Zealand about the ! end of the vear, stated Dr. Wilson. It had been proposed that the work should be carried out by a travelling team to . be oi'ganised. Interestlug talks had been given to the coul'erence by Dr. C. O. Taylor pt the Department of Health, and Dr. T. 11. Pullar, Pathologist to the Palmerston North Ilospital, on tlieir investigations of the practice in other countries in respect of immunisation against tuberculosis with B C.G. vaccine, said Dr. Wilson. Scandinavian countrie. 1 and certain other European countries , had for many years used this procedure and authorities there were quite couvinced that it was of extreme value. ; B.C.G. imniunisatioii had also been carried out on certain groups in parts oi the United " States and Canada where tliose using it were also convinced oi its usefulness. in general, immunisa- . tion was on a voluntary basis, but it was stated that Xorway was making thd B.C.G. vac.rination of Alantoux . Negalive reactors compulsory in certain groups including uurses, while it was also mentioned that the same applied to Danish seamen. "There has been cousiderable discussion in Hugland recentJv on this subject and immuuisatiou is to be com menced there in the uoar future,-'' said Dr. Wilson. "The weight of evidenci appears to be delinitely in favour oJ B.C.G. immunisation and -tlie ('0111111011wealth Serum Laboratories are nou beginning the preparation of the vac 1'ine iu Austraiia. .Supplies transporteo bv air vv'ill be available for use in N eu zealand and the present suggestion is that the iuimunisation on a voluntan ' basis of certain groups of the popula tion should comuience here about tlie eiul of this vear." There had been a lot of discussiou on just which groups should be iucludeo for a start, and a committee "was appointed to bring uo.wn recommeudations 011 this point, lie said. Likely suilablt groups were cousidered to be nursos and pupil uurses, junior medicai stali and medicai students, hospital techni I cians, ^iaori children and conlacts. training college and university studenl.and any other industrial groups with a high incidence of tuberculosis. Lt had been suggested that the vaccination should be carried out for a start by a travelling team yet to be orgunised. Dr. Wilson ropoj;ted that there had also been cousiderable discussiou on the subject of tuberculosis testing (this boi iug iiecessarily clo«ely related to .uny immunisation programme) and radiographv. in regard to the latt|(jri departuieutal opinion at present seemed to favour tlie estalilishnieiit of suilablt) i X-Kay i'acilfti^s 4V Phcst 'elihil'si .uiul j hospitala, aml td 'proceed jsldwl^ ;sb; fa? is the cstabHshment of further niobilc X-Kay uni-ts.was concerned. : . . bonie time was also devoted to* questions alfecting the rehabilitatiou oi tuberculosis patients, stated Dr. Wilson. Lt was lioped that in the not very distant future more might be done in this niat.ter particularly by the provision oi facilities for occujiational training. Ii was mentioned that before very long the present serviccmen 's training centres might be avTailable for civilian use. In reply to a question bv Mr. H. F. 1 oogood (Wellington), Dr. Wilson said Ihe risk involved in tlie use of the vac cine was cousidered to be negligible. Phe mauufacture and preparation oi the serum was regarded as highl\ specialised work and the suceess which ! had attended the use of tlie vaccim | overseas led New Zealand tuberculosis 2 •jflicers to consider that its use here ! ■.vould be most satisfactory. I