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firmed and the corrected figure was therefore 1,289, a total 462 in
excess of that for 1968 and almost entirely accounted for by the
biennial fluctuation in measles notifications.
Details showing age groups, sex and districts are given in the
table in the appendix.
Exclusion from work
From time to time it is necessary that a suspected "carrier" of,
or a person in contact with, an infectious disease should be precluded from work in order that the risk of transmission of the
disease is minimised. This is especially necessary when the person
concerned is a "food handler".
National Insurance Act, 1946
Regulation 3(b) of the National Insurance (Unemployment and
Sickness Benefit) Regulations, 1948, made under the above Act,
enables any person excluded from work under the foregoing provisions to claim sickness benefit on production of a certificate
issued by the Medical Officer of Health.
In the Ministry of Health Circular 115/48 it has been suggested
that the Medical Officer of Health should be prepared to furnish
such a certificate if, in his opinion, circumstances are such that this
action becomes necessary.
Any sickness benefit would of course be taken into account when
compensation is made to a person for the loss occasioned by his
exclusion from work.
On only one occasion was it necessary to take action under
Section 41 of the 1961 Public Health Act in respect of a food
handler.
International Certificates
The International Sanitary Regulations prescribe forms of International Certificates of Vaccination against Cholera, Smallpox
and Yellow Fever. The form in respect of Smallpox was amended
by the Public Health (Aircraft) Regulations, 1966, and the Public
Health (Ships) Regulations, 1966, and the new form became compulsory after the 1st January, 1967.
To be valid each certificate must bear an approved stamp which
certifies that the signature of the Vaccinator is that of a practising
medical practitioner.
During the year 4,074 certificates of persons proceeding abroad
were so authenticated, of these 3,619 were in respect of Smallpox,
314 Cholera, and 141 for Typhoid.