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1. Scarlet Fever notifications totalled only 2 in 1962,
a drop of 3 on the 1961 figures.
2. Diphtheria It is now 7 years since the last case of
diphtheria was notified in the District and 16 years since
this was a cause of death. Outbreaks of diphtheria
still occur from time to time in different parts of
England and Wales but if we can succeed in keeping our
immunisation rate at its present very high level we
should certainly avoid any danger of such an outbreak in
Friern Barnet. The fact that 94.2% of infants under
2 years of age are protected against diphtheria is very
gratifying. The great majority of these immunisations
are combined in the triple antigen giving protection
against whooping cough and tetanus as well.
3. Measles notifications fell from 453 in 1961 to 27 this
year. The type of infection was again very mild.
4. Pertussis notifications were 6 this year - 1 more than
last year, but still a very satisfactory figure.
Although it is difficult in any one District to show
statistically the effect of whooping cough vaccination,
recently published figures are of great interest. These
show that for England and Wales in 1960 and 1961 the total
deaths from whooping cough were 64, and of these 64 deaths
only one occurred in a completely vaccinated child - a
child aged 2 years who suffered from epilepsy. Although
the death rate from pertussis is low it is such a distressing
disease that every child should be protected from it so far
as is possible.
5. The incidence of food poisoning and dysentery increased from
a combined total of 5 in 1961 to 8 in 1962.
All cases of dysentery and food poisoning,
particularly Salmonellae-typhi-murium infections, are
carefully investigated and are fully followed up wherever
the source of infection may lie. Although the continued
low incidence is very satisfactory, this rate is extremely
variable and there is by no means any general reduction
throughout the country in these infections.
6. No case of poliomyelitis was notified in 1962. The
rate of polio immunisation for Friern Barnet children
continues at a satisfactory high rate.
As in previous years, we have co-operated with
the Central Public Health Laboratory, Colindale, in
obtaining specimens from children who have not been in
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