§ Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that, in a speech to sanitary inspectors, the deputy-medical officer of health for Leeds admitted that 8 per cent. of the children inoculated by him with toxoid, with a view to preventing diphtheria, had suffered very severe reactions; and whether he will request medical officers of health who are responsible for the introduction of this system to report to him all such serious results of the inoculations, together with information regarding the material used?
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Sir H. YOUNGI am advised that the remarks to which the hon. Member refers related only to the use of powerful forms of diphtheria prophylactic employed to induce rapid immunisation. The speaker, therefore, stressed the importance of applying a preliminary test which would discover the possibly severe reactors, and of immunising these by the ordinary routine method. In the circumstances, the action suggested in the last part of the question does not appear to be called for.
§ Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Health (1) what is the child population of Dagenham at the following ages: up to 5, 6 to 10, 11 to 15; how many Dagenham children at each of these age periods have received three injections of the diphtheria
Age period. No. of children who received three injections of immunising mixture. No. of children Schick-tested after immunisation. No. of children found negative on Schick-testing. 1931. 1912. 1933. 1931. 1932. 1933. 1931. 1932. 1933. Under 6 years … 499 234 193 — 253 88 — 194 85 6 to 10 … 480 300 163 — 402 160 — 305 145 11 to 15 … 190 102 70 — 171 50 — 132 34 The number of cases of diphtheria notified in the urban district in the year 1931 was 207.