§ Colonel DAYasked the Minister of Health whether the officials of his Department have come to any decision for the purpose of recommending to the health authorities of England and Wales the Schick test and immunisation methods for the prevention of diphtheria; and will he say what progress has been made?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI am advised that this method of protection against diphtheria is one of proved utility. The evidence collected in regard to it has been made available to the local health authorities in reports from my Department, notably in the last Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer (1926, 1743W pages 52–3), as well as in a report on the Prevention of Diphtheria issued by the Medical Research Council during the present year (Medical Research Council Report 115). The official memorandum issued by my Department on this subject in 1922, is now being revised, and the new edition will re-indicate the action which it is open to local health authorities to take in the promotion of the use of this method of protection, and the assistance which they may obtain for this purpose from the Ministry of Health.