PhD Thesis - ResearchSpace@Auckland - The University of Auckland

the ‘Radio Doctor’, he gave advice on all manner of health subjects, including
childhood diseases and diphtheria immunisation. These talks were later reprinted in
Health. The Health Department found that Turbott’s talks proved very popular and
were an excellent way of communicating with a large number of people. Use of the
radio in this way followed the lead of Britain where such tactics had increased the
demand for diphtheria immunisation. Turbott gave three talks on this topic between
1943 and 1945 as part of the Department’s policy of promoting the vaccine. 52 He also
had a regular column in the New Zealand Listener which published articles on
diphtheria immunisation in 1944 and 1954. 53 The New Zealand Listener was, and still
is, a weekly current affairs magazine which would occasionally feature articles on
immunisation. With the commencement of the BCG campaign in schools in the mid-
1950s the New Zealand Listener carried an article on tuberculosis which discussed
BCG as part of the Health Department prevention programme. 54 From the late 1940s
cinemas were utilised to promote diphtheria immunisation, including the times of
local clinics, as going to the movies became an increasingly popular pastime. In 1949
the Medical Officer of Health for Hamilton, J. F. Dawson, reported cinema
advertising for diphtheria immunisation was about to be introduced in Hamilton. 55
Medical Officers of Health also made use of the media to impress upon parents the
necessity of immunisation; in 1953 the Medical Officer of Health for Auckland, A.
W. S. Thompson, asked the New Zealand Herald if they could give diphtheria
immunisation ‘a little bit of publicity in your columns’ as not enough children were
receiving the injections. 56
During the 1940s and 1950s only certain vaccines issued by the Department were the
subjects of promotional campaigns. Because of the uncertainty surrounding the
pertussis vaccine in the 1940s the Department did not publicise it to parents; it was an
‘on request’ vaccine only. Tetanus was promoted from 1960 when the triple vaccine
became available on the free list. Diphtheria immunisation was heavily promoted
from 1940 onwards. Posters were published in magazines such as the New Zealand
Listener. Display notices were placed in buses and trams and newspaper
52 H1 15421 34/2/2 Publicity, ANZ, Wellington.
53 New Zealand Listener (NZ Listener), 1944, 10, 249, p.18, 1954, 31, 782, p.20.
54 NZ Listener, 1955, 32, 822, p.22.
55 MOH Hamilton to DGH, 2 August 1949, H1 131/11/6 24116, ANZ, Wellington.
56 A. W. S. Thompson to Chief reporter, New Zealand Herald (NZH), 18 August 1953, BAAK A358
125a Diphtheria, ANZ, Auckland.
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