Park's diphtheria campaign 1921
William H. Park launched a massive toxin-antitoxin (TAT) campaign in 1921 that was responsible for giving over 180,000 children either the antitoxin for diphtheria or testing for the disease itself. Parks’s plan for his TAT administration was to use the Schick test which was developed in 1913. The Schick test is a where a small amount of a toxin, in this case diphtheria, was placed under a small portion of the child's skin; if the injection site were to turn red then it would be clear that the child had been previously exposed to the diphtheria bacteria. Park’s campaign was not only the first mass use of the Schick test but it was also a large public-health milestone, by seeking the cooperation of school administrators, school nurses, and parents Park’s was able to achieve a health standard for schools that continues to be used today.
"Vaccine Timeline ." History of Vaccines . The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, Jan. 2013. Web. 6 Jan. 2014. <http://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/timelines/pasteur>.
"Vaccine Timeline ." History of Vaccines . The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, Jan. 2013. Web. 6 Jan. 2014. <http://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/timelines/pasteur>.