[Report 1964] / Medical Officer of Health, Bradford City / County Borough.

  • Bradford (West Yorkshire, England). Metropolitan District Council.
Date:
1964
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1964] / Medical Officer of Health, Bradford City / County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    136/264 (page 98)
    The Cinderella Club enabled many needy children to spend a fortnight at Rest Bank, Morecambe. Each child was medically examined before travelling. Other deserving children were sent to the Craig Home for a similar holiday. Help given by the Victoria Convalescent Fund is also acknowledged. The value of these schemes to ailing children with long absences from school, or whose home circumstances were poor, is un- questioned. Infectious Diseases No teacher or pupil may attend school while suffering from or suspected to be suffering from any infectious or contagious disease. A “Vade Mecum” on infectious diseases is supplied to all head teachers in Bradford. Any teacher suspecting a pupil to be so suffering must report to the head teacher who, if circumstances warrant, will temporarily exclude the child from school, inform the parent or guardian, and notify the Senior School Medical Officer. Where necessary a nurse is sent to the school to examine contacts, take laboratory specimens, and carry out other preventive measures. Notifiable infectious diseases are reported to the Medical Officer of Health by S.M.O.s and private practitioners. Health visitors may advise parents on the care of patients and contacts. It is sometimes necessary to exclude the latter from school. Vaccination and Immunisation Visits were made to schools and establishments of further education to arrange B.C.G. vaccination against tuberculosis of pupils over the age of 13 years found to be Heaf negative; absentees were tested later at the Central School Clinic. Number of pupils tested .. .. .. .. 2,502 Number of negative reactors .. .. .. 2,126 Number of negative reactors vaccinated with B.C.G. 2,117 Number of positive reactors .. .. .. .. 259 Positive reactors and their home contacts were followed up by health visitors, and offered chest X-ray examination to detect active tuberculosis. I Follow-up sessions for immunisation of children against poliomyelitis, diphtheria and tetanus were held regularly at branch clinics; courses of injections commenced at school at the time of periodic inspections were thus completed. Parents were informed by letter when children should attend the clinics; the response was encouraging. Whenever a child was so protected in the parent’s absence a note of the date and type of vaccine was sent home.