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32
In connection with this outbreak, my advice and help was
called in by the Medical Officers of the Home, and furthermore, I
had the advice and help of one of the Officers of the Ministry of
Health.
We were not able to trace the source of the disease. In view
of the fact that children are being admitted to the Home throughout
the year, the liability of conveying Infectious Disease to the Home
is considerable.
The Home attempts to cater for the largest number possible,
and although this may be ideal from a philanthropic point of view,
it has meant that to some extent the Home is rendered overcrowded.
As soon as it became apparent that the disease was not limited
to one or two children, and that the type would tend to be severe
if not treated immediately, special arrangements were made for the
employment of a full-time Nurse trained in fever work who should
be a resident of the Home. Following upon her appointment,
suspicious cases were seen and given treatment immediately, and no
serious case arose after that date.
It was impossible, however, to control the spread of the disease,
although the 200 children there were swabbed on an average five
times each.
The epidemic abated when those children who were not immune
had contracted the disease, as was shewn by the fact that Schick
testing of those children who had not had the disease, and for whom
permission for the test to be carried out had been obtained, were all
found to be immune.
The Authorities in charge of the Home have been strongly
advised to refuse admission to children until they have been found to
be, or rendered, immune to this disease, and were also advised to
reduce the number of children maintained in the Home.
DIPHTHERIA IMMUNISATION.
Sanction was received from the Minister of Health on the 31st
January, 1935, for the carrying out of the Schick test and immunisation
against Diphtheria for the poorer inhabitants of the District.
Arrangements were accordingly made whereby the Health
Department was authorised either to carry out the work itself or
supply the necessary material to the general Practitioners of the
District, subject to their giving me information as to the children
who had been immunised.
During the year 15 children were tested and 20 immunised.