The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1933-07-13
100000 STATE CHILDREN
WILL REACH SCHOOL AGE
Parents Are Urged To Get This
Army In Healthy Condition

Over 10000 youngsters in Mary
land will reach school age this veal
and will start to school in the fall
A little over half of the number will
attend school in the counties and the
rest in Baltimore City. About one
fourth in each group are colored.
The State and City Departments
of Education and of Health are jointly
concerned in the arrangements for the
reception of this army of young citi-
zens. Class rooms are being put in
shape, repairs are being made and
supplies ordered by the Department OF
Education. While this is being done
the Departments of Health are max
ing every possible effort to get the
children themselves in the best pos
| sible condition to stand the strain OF
school life. Health conferences fol
the examination of prospective first
graders in preparation for their adj
| mission to school were started in the
early spring and are under way in
every part of the State. If condi-
lions that need attention are observed,
| the parents are advised to take their
children to their doctor or their den
fist so that corrections can be made
before school opens, and the children
can enter school, free from the strain
that comes from physical handicaps.
Because of the State law requiring
every child to be vaccinated against
smallpox before he or she can be re-
ceived as a pupil in any public school
in the State, parents whose children
have not been vaccinated are reminded
that this must be done, and are urged
to have it done promptly. They are
also urged to have their children pro-
tected against diphtheria-another
dread disease that is just as preventa-
BILE as smallpox.
1.-TWO things have helped us to shut
the doors on smallpox in Maryland"
DR.. R. H. Riley, Director of the State
Department of Health, said recently.
"The State law which requires all
children to be vaccinated before they
can be enrolled in any public school
and the cooperation of the parents in
carrying out the law. AS a conse-
quence, smallpox is very rare in Mary
land.
eve are hoping that eventually
diphtheria will be shut out just as
completely. We have preventive
against the disease, in what is known
as toxoid. Practically everybody has
heard, l am sure, of the anti-toxin,
that is used in the treatment of diph-
liberia after the disease has developed.
A great many people also know that
we have a vaccine which because of
certain properties, is called toxin-an-
titoxin, and which is used to immun-
ize, that is, protect children, so that
they will not get the disease if they
are exposed to it. ToXoid is an i'm
provement on toxin-antitoXin, and
one of the great advantages in its
use is that only one dose-instead OF
several-need be injected, to bring
about the desired protection.
practically all young children
from babies six months old to those
of school age-are very likely to
catch the disease from others who
have it, or who are carriers of it,
unless they have been immunized
against it. 1t is especially important
for children to be protected against
it before they start to school.
"The State Department of Health
furnishes toxoid to physicians thru
out the counties free of charge. Par
ents whose children have not been pro-
tected against diphtheria are urged to
take their children to their family
doctor and have them immunized. II
you have no doctor, go to your county
health officer for advice"