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110
Statistics reveal that pregnancy and abortion in girls under 16
years are becoming increasingly common and the need for earlier
protection is growing. As more vaccine becomes available during
the coming year the age range for this safeguard will be progressively
lowered to 11 years.
In Canada where it is considered that unprotected boys provide
a reservoir for unprotected girls or those adults with waning
resistance, immunisation is offered to the young of both sexes.
Such a policy is vindicated on the grounds that many children's
illnesses mirror the symptoms of rubella and one can never be sure
that a girl/woman has actually suffered a rubella attack in earlier
life.
Influenza—teratogenecity?
It is interesting to recall that in my Report for 1961 I referred
to a study into perinatal mortality which suggested that influenza,
perhaps in addition to rubella, could be responsible for congenital
malformation. During the current year further interest has been
aroused in the possibility that influenza could be a contributing
factor in producing some of these anomalies.
Observation/Handicap Register
Plans to incorporate the "At Risk", Handicapped and Deaf
lists into one composite Register were put into effect during 1968
and its compilation continued throughout the current year. At
present, for administrative reasons, the "At Risk" register remains
separate.
This new observation/handicapped register is most complete for
children under 5 years but schoolchildren will be fully represented
in due course.
A child with multiple handicaps is listed once, according to the
most severe defect, and the substantial increase in the number of
children on the Register is due entirely to the gradual compilation
of comprehensive records and not to an alarming increase in the
number of such births and newcomers to Greenwich during the
current year.