§ Sir F. Fremantleasked the Minister of Health whether, to save infant lives from diphtheria this winter, he will arrange for simple leaflets and advice to be given by registrars of birth and by maternity and child welfare officers to all parents attending their offices and clinics?
§ Mr. E. BrownLeaflets and other material are already available to every local authority for distribution as they think best. Mothers attending welfare centres have for some time been urged to have their children immunised against diphtheria, and I have recently asked that health visitors should be taken off less urgent routine duties so that they may give similar advice in the homes. I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his suggestion that registrars of births should be asked to advise parents in this sense, but as most medical authorities regard the first birthday as the best time to immunise a child I doubt whether this method would be effective.