Immunization - Passport to Health (1944)

[Music] these are our [Music] children in them  are our Joys our hopes our dreams [Music] these are children of America happy healthy and free we dedicate ourselves to their  freedom we devote ourselves to their happiness and in their health  lies the Fulfillment of our dreams yes and we have learned much about  their health in but a few Generations man can cure but better than that he can  prevent he can protect against illness there is a passport to help let us look  in on one of our physicians and learn about this what it does and why it is  called by that name a passport to hell these cards are important Miss King and must be  kept up to date immunization these are my office copies didn't miss Vincent tell you about them  she did mention them but she didn't have time to go into detail we'll have to forgive her a  girl doesn't get married every day this looks like a very complete record it is and it's a big  help especially with children I have a complete record of their immunization history and the  parents keep a copy too that is of the children who are immunized most of them are yes but many  parents come up with queer reasons or prejudices or they're just careless I'll never understand  that sit down of course they must have their children vaccinated against small pox in this  state before they can enter school not enough states have that law though something being done  about it we're trying it's an educational problem fortunately there are people who realize the  value of immunization take the Browns here this is dary's card Mrs Brown has been  wonderfully Cooperative darthy had her small poox vaccination at 4 months by the time she  was 9 months old she'd been protected against deia hooping cough and tetus then at 18 months we  gave her scarlet fever inoculation she's all set isn't she Dorothy's about six now  and some of these immunities may be a little low they don't last forever you know  yes I see that she was reinoculated against etheria last year that's another advantage of  these record cards they keep us up to date at a glance and remind the parents when it's time  for checkup be darth's coming in on a little while that's why I took out her card that was  her father who phoned a few minutes ago shall I get things ready for a checkup would you  please oh Mr Brown said he wanted to talk to entertain darthy for a little while would you  you'll like her she's a lovely healthy child hello won't you come in come on Daddy Dr Benson is waiting for you Mr Brown won't  you step right into his office thank you you wait here that's very nice doll you have you're a  new aren't you well yes I've come to help Dr B from now on come over here where we can be  comfortable how old is your doll Dorothy oh almost a year she left to get married oh she  was a very nice nurse wasn't she uhhuh darthy Dr Benson's told me a lot about you I like Dr  B he's a nice man that's right you know what what I've got something what is it a surprise  surprise for whom G well I'll try but after all I've only been here a short time go ahead good  all right I'll try H let's see is it for your daddy no well then is it for Dr Benson oh Hy  you knew all the time no I didn't I just guess look it's a picture of me with daddy and mommy  and Tommy a isn't that nice Dr Benson will love to have this this is me see how little Tommy is  Tommy's just a baby is me to well after all you were just that little Once Upon a Time oh sure  but now I'm big and strong I'm not a little baby anymore I'm going to school soono a you  love school but Tommy won't go to school for a long time where is daddy he's talking to Dr Ben  about what about you I guess oh I suppose daddy is thinking about me being all grown up again  Dorothy's growing up fast imagine she'll be in school soon fortunately she's a healthy child yes  darth's health record has been fine you and Mrs Brown have done the right right thing well Mrs  Brown has I'm afraid I've been letting business push my family responsibilities too far out of  the picture that's why I wanted to talk with you last time we really had a talk was the night Tommy  was born and we talked him halfway through college well now I want to come back to the day and sort  of catch up you have two healthy youngsters yeah thanks to you Helen's kept me posted on everything  you've been doing but well to get down to cas is Dorothy's starting to school in a couple  of weeks and well I wanted to make sure that everything was taken care of well let's  look at the record you have our immunization record haven't you immunization record never mind  here's my duplicate card darthy has been immunized against five dangerous childhood diseases you  know she hasn't had any of them that's true but I've heard well from lots of sources that  all of this is open to question but there are differences of opinion I hear those things too  is there anything special well one of the things they say is that it's better for the child to  get some of the diseases and get them over with it uh it makes them stronger children how well the  experience of having had the disease sort of well it it makes the child more resistant to disease  it toughens them up let's go over your AR argument first children's diseases are serious the death  rate is high for one thing and the after effects or complications are often more lasting than the  disease itself oh I don't mean serious diseases take something like a hooping call they're all  serious and don't let anybody kid you take hooping call people think that children will get it anyway  so they don't do anything about but the death rate from hooping cough is 20 times that of D theia  among infants I didn't think it was that bad and next year we can expect a couple of thousand  normal healthy youngsters just like your son Tommy to die of hooping cof before they're even one  year old and Mr Brown most of those deaths are unnecessary let's get back now to what you've been  hearing letting a child get a disease to toughen him up is dangerous oh but I didn't think that put  it another way any parents push their child off a porch roof so he could get over the experience  of having a broken leg of course not that's an extreme comparison but the idea is about the  same exposing a child to a disease whose outcome might not be what you expect is not exactly a  good toughener well of course I you just don't know because of old wives tales take dip perod  people just wouldn't question immunization for that disease if they had seen a child lying in bed  slowly choking to death gasping for breath that's horrible diseases don't tough they are tough we  do the toughening with immunization your body has the mechanisms for fighting disease but it's  a complicated process and too often the germs get a fast start the vaccines and toxoids and other  immunizing agents we use are like catalysts or spark plugs spark plugs yes something that starts  the body building its own weapons to fight and Conquer disease before disease attacks if you wait  until the disease attacks the body may not have time to build these weapons result perhaps bad  teeth bad eyes bad heart or a horrible Puck marked face that lasts the rest of the child's life you  make it sound gruesome it's nothing but straight fact but isn't there some sort of immunity which a  child gets from its mother only temporarily and it seldom lasts more than 6 months yes but if Dorothy  has had all this why go through with it again now these acquired immunities are not permanent the  duration varies and so we check them at definite intervals and renew or reinforce them that's  another advantage of these record cards it reminds the parents that this must be done but what if it  doesn't work you know I've heard of place where youngsters have been inoculated and then got the  disease anym wi there have been cases like that it happens occasionally with hooping cough but  with hooping cough the effects of the disease are lessened and its duration greatly shorten  that makes treatment a lot easier rather like Insurance isn't it cheap insurance too how long  ago were you vaccinated against smallpox me well when I started to school I guess most adults don't  realize that they also need immunization against various diseases the Army and Navy know this and  they protect their personnel all adults too by routine immunization the services know that in  the past germs have caused more casualties than weapons we don't take chances anymore with the men  and women in our Armed Forces well maybe I ought to get some of that immunization Insurance  anytime you say well not now let's stick to Dorothy you know she often says Dr Benson gives  me medicine to keep me from getting sick she knows what she's talking about you know we parents  should listen a little more carefully to our children may I have a pin ouch there now she's comfortable tell me  Dorothy where did you ever learn how to change a baby oh I always knew Ian used  to change tummy when he was very little you did all by yourself well mommy used to  help me for sure well but honest I used to M me feed tmy and bathe them and dress them and  everything I like to do that so much that last Christmas I wanted a big doll to play with  so on Christmas morning I come down the and [Music] oh Mommy she's beautiful and I'm going to call her  Susan and I'm going to take care of my baby just like you take care of Tommy what's that what's  what what's the matter with Tommy did he hear how did this happen no darling Tommy didn't  get hurt that's just something to keep him from getting hurt but that's a sore mommy well I  took Tommy to Dr Benson and he vaccinated him just like he did you me I don't remember well that was  quite a while ago you were just about as old as Tommy where on your arm why well you know how Dr  Benson gives your medicine sometimes when you're sick makes you better doesn't it and sometimes it  tastes awful yes but it makes you well again then there's another kind of medicine medicine that Dr  Benson can put in your arm before you get sick and that kind of medicine saves you from some very bad  sicknesses but how can it be get better before you get sick well you can and if more parents realize  that they'd be less sick children let me see if I can explain it to you a little better please  momy well with this before kind of medicine the doctor shows your body how to fight disease  and it starts it practicing so that it learns to fight sickness without any outside help then  when a big sickness comes along your body says I can lick you I licked your brother now  I'm ready for you see did Dr Benson do that to me too did I practice so I won't ever get sick  yes darling you won't get lots of the sicknesses little girls care do doctors give all children  before medicine no many of them don't get it someday I hope all of them will they would  be wonderful be the most wonderful Christmas present the world could possibly get Mommy I  hope Sant put marry a doll too she told me she asked him my doll is a little girl maybe Mary got  a boy doll and then the do could play brother and sister let's go over the Mary's house I'll take  s long and we can have her play with the Mary's house all right Tommy's all dressed you hurry and  get dressed we'll all walk over there together here we are Mommy oh Dorothy wait you can't go  in Mary's ill why Mommy I want to show her my new dog yes I know but you'll have to wait until she's  well again how do you know she's sick you see that sign there's nobody can go in but why can't we go  in is she so sick Yes dear she's very bad now come along but why' she have to get sick didn't she  have any before medicine no I guess she didn't dear why didn't she well I can't answer that  perhaps because Mary's parents just moved in they hadn't gotten around to it yet or maybe Mary's  mommy was afraid she felt this couldn't happen to her almost any reason Under the Sun I'm thankful  I'll never have to ask myself why I didn't do it what Mommy never mind the doctor will cure Mary  and then you can play with her again come along and I never did get to show on my doll  Su oh you never told me this was Susan my but she's beautiful of course I told  you Susan is my best dog and she has blue eyes and dimples and a diaper just like Tommy  and I love and I'm going to take good care of her hello darthy Dr Benson and I never did  get to show my do oh you never told me this was suan my but she's beautiful of course  I told you is my best do and bl and and the diaper just like Tommy and I love and I'm  going to take good care of her hello darthy Dr take another well darthy you're fine you just give you a  little more D theot toxoid then later another vaccination against small po then you'll  be all ready for school you like school won't you I can read and I can like my  name mommy show me how you have a very good mother and father that's why you're so  smart and so well you bring me the toxoid please this won't take for a  second and then you can dress through for today Dr Benson told me  how much this helps you well here we go there that's finished Dorothy that's  the second time today isn't it darthy she picked herself off she was changing a dollar  C that's finished Dorothy you'll have to come in to see me again before you start school then  you'll be as fit as a fiddle you to get dressed now I didn't realize how little I knew about this  IM business and as usual Mrs Brown knew it all the time that knowledge that comes of motherhood  knowing how to protect her child from danger and let me tell you sickness is danger I want  to talk you yes Ary you fix it so I won't get bad sicknesses and Tommy too but you never diding  he's getting old now and I'm worried about my baby there's a mother again yes daroy I gu we have  been rather neglecting your baby but it's not too late she's well now and she's not too old for  immunization in fact no one is ever too old for that will you prepare the patient please miss G now be very still and I and the doctor will take  good care of you w't we do we certainly will to we'll just give you a little D area top we bring  the please this will only take a second baby I know there that's done that didn't take long  of course you'll need more you're a very good mother you know darthy if all children had  immunization records as complete as yours the school authorities wouldn't worry nearly as much  as they do nor would millions of parents you can include the medical profession too well that's  that now you've had your granddaughter inoculated you're a grandpa how's it feel well I don't know  I'll have to get used to that I guess I'm happy and you're the best friend I ever had CU now  Susan won't get B where you baby yes Dorothy and Susan are protected they have their passport  to help and all the Dorothy and Susan and Tomy all our children can get this passport to help  immunization the key to healthy childhood has already brought about a marked reduction in  the incident of children's diseases in the year 1938 3058 deia cases were registered by  the United States Public Health Service during the five following years through immunization  we have reduced this number to 13,744 cases progress yes but not enough when you consider  that dfia could be controlled entirely if all children were properly immunized small poxs  in the year 1938 attacked 14,939 children immunization brought this number down down and  down until 5 years later only 742 cases were registered yes we have made progress  we are on the right Road let's continue these children are our children we  have it in our power to protect them [Music] we want them all of them to have the opportunity to grow up happy and healthy  give them a passport to help