Seymour Plan For Disease Prevention

At the State and Provincial Authorities of North America conference in May, Dr. M. M. Seymour, deputy minister of public health from Saskatchewan and conference president, introduced a plan to combat diphtheria, smallpox, and typhoid through "drives." The strategy involves devoting two months annually to each disease, beginning with diphtheria in September and October.

During these months, a thorough survey of diphtheria cases will be conducted, and efforts will be made to educate the public about the disease. Simultaneously, public immunization or vaccination will be encouraged. This plan, which was adopted, will commence in September of the upcoming year. Following diphtheria, the scheme will focus on smallpox from November to December, and typhoid in January and February 1927.

The Seymour plan aims to utilize the psychological principle of "crowd action," employing various means of education such as the press, pulpit, school, and others. The goal is to overcome the persistent ignorance and carelessness that often hinders the prevention of communicable diseases, even when the cause, transmission, and prevention methods are well understood.

This initiative will be implemented separately in all states and provinces of the United States and Canada, functioning as a distinct activity of the local health authorities. Physicians are expected to actively support any well-established plan initiated by their local authorities.