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Of the 23 children, 21 were actively immunised, and in the remaining two cases
the process was not completed owing to special idiosyncrasies of the subjects. Two
further cases of scarlet fever occurred during the year at the school, one of whom
was a new entrant for whom consent to immunisation had not been obtained, and
the other was a boy whose parents had refused consent to immunisation.
The general arrangements were similar to those in operation in the residential
schools and children's homes in connection with the active immunisation of the
children against diphtheria which were described in the Annual Report for 1931.
Eight cases of scarlet fever also occurred at Mile Oak school, and two at Pontonroad
remand home. Four cases of chickenpox and one of scabies were
reported amongst the children at Ponton-road remand home. The necessary
action was taken to prevent the spread of infection and the affected children were
removed to hospital. A number of cases of influenza were reported in January
amongst the boys and staff at Mile Oak school.
Residential
special
schools.
•
The work that had been proceeding at the residential special schools in
connection with the active immunisation of the children against diphtheria, to
which reference was made in the Annual Report last year, was reviewed by the
Education Committee on 19th July, 1933, and its continuance was authorised.
During the year 98 children, for the most part new entrants, were tested for
their susceptibility to diphtheria, the necessary parental consents having been first
obtained. The test showed 20 to be susceptible and 78 to be not susceptible.
Thirty children were immunised, including those in whose cases the immunisation
process had not been completed on 31st December, 1932.
One case of diphtheria occurred at Linden Lodge (blind) school during the year,
in the person of a boy who had not been tested for susceptibility to diphtheria.
A few sporadic cases of other infectious illnesses occurred amongst the children at
these schools during the year. A number of cases of influenza were reported from
some of the schools in the early months of the year.
Residential
schools,
children's
homes and
children's
receiving
homes.
The scheme adopted for the prevention of the spread of infectious diseases in
the residential schools, children's homes and children's receiving homes transferred
from the various authorities to the control of the Council on 1st April, 1930, was
described in the Annual Report for 1931, and was put into operation in July of that
year. As stated in the report, "the quarantine of schools and homes on the
occurrence of infectious disease, i.e., the cessation of discharges and admissions and
the general segregation of all contacts, has been abandoned in favour of a scheme of
special supervision by means of which children are segregated as soon as the onset
of illness appears, pending examination by the medical officer."
To meet certain criticisms as to the efficacy of the arrangements in preventing
the introduction of infection into the schools and the consequent spread of infectious
illness amongst the children, it was decided, after consultation with the education
officer and chief officer of public assistance, that children to be admitted to a children's
receiving home who were known to have been in contact with infectious illness should
be sent, in the first instance, to one of the receiving homes (Earlsfield House) where
they would be kept in isolation for appropriate periods. At the same time arrangements
were made for as full details as possible to be obtained as regards those children
said to be " contacts." It was also arranged that, in the event of a case of infectious
illness occurring amongst the children in the three receiving homes, "contacts" should
be sent to the isolation block at Earlsfield House, if accommodation permitted.
The revised scheme was put into operation on 1st January, 1934, and the
arrangements are to be reviewed at a later date in the light of the experience gained.
A system of special supervision is the central feature of the procedure in
operation in the schools and homes, and, as it was felt to be of great importance that
some of the nursing staff at each of the schools and homes should be able to recognize