NO MORE DIPHTHERIA

New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 101, 30 May 1941, Page 13

NO MORE DIPHTHERIA

(Written for "The Listener" by

DR

H. B.

TURBOTT

Director of the Division of

School Hygiene, Health Department )

STRICHES are credited with the habit of hiding their heads in the sand at the approach of danger. There used to be ostrich farms in New Zealand, but although these have disappeared, the peculiar ostrich habit remains with some people. Mrs. Unaware declaims: "Diphtheria? That’s not caused by germs. I know a certain cure. Gargle with — and take orange juice. Don’t believe any of that rubbish about germs!" No ostrich missed his troubles by refusing to meet them openly, and no child dodges diphtheria because his parents fail to accept proven facts. Diphtheria is caused by a germ, the diphtheria bacillus. It strikes at children under 15 years of age as a rule, and particularly at the toddlers from 1 to 5 years. It is no good hiding from the facts. In New Zealand in the last ten years, the diphtheria cases are lessening, but have ranged in round figures from 1500 to 500 annually, with deaths from over 50 to over 20 yearly in the same period. What a burden of child disease and death! By the last available return, 1938, in the school years 5-15, one child in every thirty-two catching the disease died, but in the baby and toddler years O0-5 one child in every eleven suffering from the disease died. How serious a risk to babes and toddlers!. The Most Dangerous Years Now unfortunately these little ones have the least natural defence against the disease. As we grow older we have received from others carrying the germ little infections through mouth droplets scattered in speech or coughing. The body fights and overcomes the little dose of. poison (or -toxin). by . making anti-toxin. Each little infection teaches the body to manufacture -more antitoxin, until finally there is enough to prevent the disease and make the body

naturally protected. This occurs more quickly in towns where there is more contact than in rural, scattered areas, Why worry about diphtheria if the body can develop its own protection? Well, firstly, because it is only the little infections than can be overcome naturally, and if a big dose be met, the body gets overwhelmed; there follows disease, and sometimes death. Secondly, not everybody grows natural protection; and thirdly, protection takes time to develop, little children not being safe. The Schick test shows whether the body is protected against diphtheria. It has been employed on thousands of New Zealand children. It reveals that, at ages 1-5 years, 92% of our children are unprotected, and at ages 5-15 years, 70% are similarly unsafe. Protection By Injection If these dangerous years can be pros tected, by artificial means, surely this is good business! It can be done by giving the toddlers little injections of toxin that will force the body to make antitoxin. Once the anti-toxin machinery of the body is created, it is always there, ready to spring into action at any diphtheria germ attack throughout the years. Any time after six months of age a baby may be protected. Certainly all toddlers should be protected in their first year and before the second birthday. At this age the injections cause no upsets and are well taken. Whenever a school doctor visits a school, the Health Department is inviting parents to have children under seven years of age protected. Together with the Plunket Society the Department is offering this protection at toddler (pre-school) clinics opened this year in many towns. There is no charge for these services. There is now world wide agreement as to the efficacy and safety of diphtheria protection. So-no more diphtheria! (NEXT WEEK: "The Nutrition Value of Potatoes,’ by Dr. Muriel Bell)