[Report 1946] / Medical Officer of Health, Portsmouth Borough.

  • Portsmouth (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1946
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1946] / Medical Officer of Health, Portsmouth Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    60/118 (page 56)
    (4) The clinical condition in regard to possible tuberculous infection, in spite of negative testing, was in doubt and a further period of observation was desirable . . 32 (5) Where segregation of positive cases or those vaccinated could not be ensured . . . . . . . • • • 29 (Wallgren, 1934, emphasizing the irregularity in devi¬ ation of the allergic stage, insisted that the post vaccin¬ ation segregation should last until a positive reaction was obtained.) Of those immunised, 5% were sent by doctors for immunisation, 55% were contact cases and 40% were cases referred to the Clinic for opinion, and being found free from tuberculosis were otherwise fit. The intra-cutaneous dose was given with little difficulty in most cases and caused no appreciable upset. In sixteen cases, however, local inflam¬ matory changes, some of which went on to abscess formation, took place. All these were dealt with effectively. Abscess formation was not correlated with a low Public Health Standard. Summarising, the experiment confirms that in piaciically all cases vaccinated, conversion from a negative to a positive tuberculin skin test takes place. Secondly, the method is free from risk, and this is confirmed by various tests which were carried out in vaccinated and unvaccinated groups of healthy children. Thirdly, the weight of the problem of vaccination depends on the recorded skin test negative percentages in various age groups, and it varies directly with age. Fourthly, the statistical survey of the various tests showed that patch testing was much inferior to Mantoux testing in the determination of tuberculin sensitivity, both before and after vaccination. Fifthly, the reasons why all tuberculin negative children were not vaccinated are given. Sixthly, the only complication, namely, inflammatory change, was not related to a low Public Health Standard. 13. General. The usefulness of the Clinic to practitioners and public is reflected in the increasingly large number of patients referred for opinion and attending for treatment. The efficacy of B.C.G. Vaccine can only be measured adequately after several years of patient administration to children and those susceptible to develop the disease, but the present report shows that its use is completely safe, and that no untoward developments are likely to occur, and this alone is of great encouragement in the advance of knowledge necessary to solve the Public Health problem of tuberculosis.