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-9-
Clinics
Number of sessions held during 1941 129
Number of children who commenced treatment during 1941. 872
Number of children who completed treatment during 1941. 920
Total number of attendances 3,404
Schools.
(Public. Elementary and Secondary Schools and St.Anne's College.
Total number of children attending these schools 3,867
Total number of children who received complete course
at school during 1941 2,367
Number still receiving treatment at end of year 50
Number Schick tested at end of year 1,218
Number Schick negative 1,072 (89%
Number Schick result slightly positive 92 (7%
Number Schick result definitely positive 31 (2.8%
The points worth noting are:-
1. That a total of 3,307 children were treated directly under
the Council's scheme in addition to a few hundred by
private practitioners. It was estimated at the end of the
year,that 19% of the children under 5 years of age and 60%
of the children between the ages of 5 and 15 years had
received the full course of treatment.
2. While the number of clinics held was twice that in previous
years the number of children treated at these sessions was
10 times as great.
3 . At the end of the year about half the school children had
been Schick tested, these being those first treated. This
procedure justified itself in that, in addition to nearly
3% who were definitely positive, which is about the average
who normally fail to respond with T.A.F., nearly 8% of
children were slightly positive. This percentage is
probably attributable to the circumstances under which the
treatment was provided, including the inexperience of some
of the staff. Had these tests not been performed those
positive would have had a lower degree of immunity than
could have been expected. All these children have since
had further treatment to increase their immunity.
The most noteworthy feature of the year's work was that,
as previously feared, the percentage of children under 5 years
who obtained treatment was low. Having made an effort to
immunise all the children in the District it is important to
continue until as large a proportion as possible has been
treated. In view of the severity of the disease in toddlers
it is imperative that more should be treated, and this as soon
after their first birthday as practicable.
Not more than 1 in 5 of these younger children had been
treated at the end of 1941, which is not satisfactory.
NON-N0TIFIABLE INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
The chief sources of information as to the prevalence
of the group of non-notifiable infectious diseases are the death
returns and notifications from the Head Teachers of the Public
Elementary Schools. From the former it is noted that only
four deaths from influenza occurred, which confirms the impressior
that this disease was not prevalent in a severe form. Two
infant deaths from diarrhoea are probably indicative of the
waves of gastro-intestinal infections which pass through the
District from time to time, especially during early and late
winter,without statistical evidence being obtained of their
presence. From the school returns it appears that neither
Chicken Pox, German Measles nor Mumps were very prevalent.