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allow us to return to our previous policy.
Children immunised against diphtheria
or diphtheria and whooping cough
combined 332
(a) At County Council Clinics 163
(b) By family doctors 169
Children given re-inforcing injection 169
Scarlet Fever.
Twenty-two cases of scarlet fever were notified
during 1956 as against 12 in 1955. The notifications
for the previous three years were 12, 40 and 31 respectively.
The whole character of this disease has altered materially,
so much so that what was once a very serious illness has
now seldom more than nuisance value. For this reason
it may well be that very mild cases - and there must be
many such - pass unnoticed. So long as scarlet fever
maintains its present, very mild character, this need
cause no concern. As I have said several times before,
however, we must still assess the situation from time to
time, in order to make quite sure that the previous
virulence which formerly characterised scarlet fever is
not returning.
Acute Anterior Poliomyelitis.
One paralytic case of poliomyelitis was notified
in Friern Barnet during 1956. Two cases wore notified
in 1955.
It will be remembered that inoculation against
poliomyelitis was offered to certain age groups in 1956,
(children born between the years 1947 and 1954), this
work being carried out by the Area Health Office Staff.
Ninety-one Friern Banrnet children were inoculated during
May and June 1956, the inoculations proceeding without
incident. A further 13 children were inoculated
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