Ka Hoku o Hawaii, Volume XXXV, Number 40, 29 January 1941 — Diptheria Immunization Campaign Starts [ARTICLE]

Diptheria Immunization Campaign Starts

fmm««teatlon against dtphtheria of everj T chlld of preschool age in the Territory, through a caiupalgn to reach those not alrfeady protected, was reeommended by the medieal advisory commlttee of the Bureau of Maternal and Infant Hygiene, during its two-day conclavej l at the Mabel Smytfc memorlal build- j ing iu Honolulu Tliursday and Frilday. i - j i The coimuictee whieh represented nll the county medlcal societies !n the Territory furtb4r recommen4ed thal every child be «ent a notification of birtii registratlon form aiHi thal ita liealUi record to be filled in by the faoiily physlclan be k«pt ou the back ot Jiis. The certifieates, the couimittee suggested, ehould be kept by the parents ih iieu of a Ule at the itoard of HeaUh. The *subject of tetanus or loekjaw iuiinunii&aUou was also dlscussed Uie uieeting and tli« eommittee decided that although tetauus toxuid is of great value in providiog i»rotection against the disease and it sliould be use<l in the Territory, compuisj>ry mass immunLsatiou could not be recommended a& facilities for this purpose are not available.

I>aring the two-dav session a careful i?tudy was made of the eauses of niaternal mortality in the Teirttory and it was decided that raore prenatal supervision by physicians is %vhat ls needed to effect a further reduotion in these deaths. Comraent was made on the general improvement in matenial healih in the Territory" dunng the past year botli as a result o£ tlie imrreased services offere<J and the niore widespread uewpianee of īheni hy mo(here. it was re<K)mmended that ohstetrlc consuHations be pn>vided as weil through the Bureau of Maternal and Infatit Hyglene for phvsicians on Oahu caring for patients unabie to afford them, At the Tlmrsday sessJon tlie eommittee recommende(3 that the present practlce of havliig physk-al examinations of school chlldren done individually by the famlly doctor rather than en masse iri the seliools be eont!nued throughdut the ooiu!ng year. It was decldec( that phvslcal exaoiSnatious shoulā ie wiade at the fo«rth and flfth gr«de age level wherever poss!Me.

All the co»> niittw will bi« submlttt?o to tlie loe&l fuuui> iuedicul ss«x'iet,ies before auj aro adopted.

| Jttat a« eSVrt 1$ Mug nta4« j w rush tlie defeuse pivj<>ct« oix Oa,iiu, iL« £uititiottliou of Americau iiamoa i.s l>eiug pushod to eouiplouuu rapidly po&sible. Pago Pago i& huviß4S a ihnuii mHMi it as uever before. iKixnaous ar«> beiivg waJ<? to hou,se 2000 Maiiue*.