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Experience of the prevailing type of mild smallpox has again shown the difficulties
arising from the numbers of missed cases, and efforts have been directed,
especially in areas where the disease persists, to ascertaining the reasons for absence
from school at the earliest possible moment. As a result of intensive investigation
and close co-ordination between the officers of the school medical and nursing
service, the school attendance staff and the borough health services, several
previously undetected cases have been brought to light.
Measles
A report dealing with various aspects of the measles epidemic of 1931-32 such
as incidence, mortality, hospital treatment, home nursing, administrative measures
(including the scheme of control in the schools), use of serum in prevention and
treatment, was published in July, 1933.*
Preparations were begun in May, 1933, for dealing with the epidemic expected to
commence at the end of the year. A "scheme of control" involving co-operation between
the health visitors of the metropolitan borough councils, the school nurses and
the school nursing staff, has been put into force during epidemics of measles for some
time past. The scheme provides, inter alia, for the daily supervision by the school
nursing staff of the children in selected schools. These arrangements have worked
well and bearing in mind the satisfactory results obtained in connection with the
surveillance in school by the nursing staff of home contacts of cases of smallpox, it
was decided, after consultation with the borough medical officers of health, to extend
the scope of the scheme during the epidemic of 1933-4, so that in schools at which
the scheme was in operation, home contacts of cases of measles who would normally
be excluded from school, should be permitted to remain in attendance provided they
were inspected daily by the school nurse and passed as fit.
The biennial epidemic of measles in London began in the autumn. An
increase in the number of cases of measles reported from the schools became
evident towards the end of October although the development in the schools was
slow as compared with some epidemics. It was not considered necessary to apply
the "scheme of control " to any of the schools until after the Christmas holidays.
The children in 82 schools were kept under special observation by the school
nurse dining the vear.
German
measles.
A report on the epidemic of 1933-34 will be published in due course.
German measles appeared in epidemic form in certain parts of London in
February; and, from the reports received from the schools, a peak was reached at
the beginning of April, when some 400 to 500 cases were reported weekly from the
schools. The epidemic subsided slowly in July. The children in the infants'
departments of 58 schools were kept under special observation for varying periods
by the school nursing staff.
cough,
chickenpox,
mumps,
influenza.
The following are the numbers of schools kept under daily supervision for
varying periods by the school nursing staff on account of the diseases mentioned:
* Report oj the Medical Ojjicer oj Health and School Medical O/Jicer on the Measles Epidemic, 1931—32.
No. 2996. Price 28. 6d.