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95
During the early part of the year, there was an outbreak of
Measles in our districts, and it is doubtful if our efforts were in any
way successful in limiting the spread of the epidemic. We have
gained considerable knowledge of the epidemiology of the disease,
and as a result we have avoided many of the mistakes which were
formerly made. We have given up school closure, as we know that
such a procedure is useless. Even when it is resorted to, it was
more for financial reasons than with any hope of ending an outbreak.
An epidemic may be slowed down in its progress, but it cannot be
definitely stopped.
An epidemic of Measles begins when sufficient children have
accumulated who have not previously had the disease. It was
formerly thought that the outbreak terminated when this surplus
of susceptibles has been depleted, but this is doubtful, or at any
rate, it does not follow that the depletion occurs because all the
susceptibles have suffered from an attack of Measles. An epidemic
of Measles may result in a transient immunization of some of the
contacts, which may last about a year, whilst it is known that a
clinical attack usually confers immunity for a lifetime.
Our methods depend upon an appreciation of the importance
of these facts. Most of the children in the Junior and Senior
departments have already suffered from an attack of Measles, and
we find that the disease does not spread in these departments.
Junior and Senior contacts who have had Measles are not
excluded from school attendance, and so we are able to concentrate
our attention on the Infants' departments.
The earlier cases were reported in January, 1932. On the
re-opening of the schools after the Christmas holidays three cases
were reported, one from Silver Crescent, one front Kingswood
Road, and one from Weston Road. All attended the Infants'
department of the Rothschild Road School, and had been taken
towards the end of December, the rash in one of the cases
appearing on December 28th, and in the other two on January 1st.
From the distibution of the 3 cases and the history, the source
f the infection would probably be in school, but on enquiry no
children had been absent with any suspicious symptoms in the
week ending December 19th, which would be the period of infection
of the 3 cases.
In the second week in January two other cases occurred,
both children lived in Antrobus Road, and were pupils at Rothsinfants'
School. These two cases, though, were not infected
in school as the probable date of infection would be the last few