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No steps have been taken to suspend the arrangements for
immunisation of young children against diphtheria or whooping
cough at local authority clinics, but a change was effected in the
site of injection and the material used for immunisation against
diphtheria. Although the arrangements were not suspended,
mothers were advised verbally to defer until a later date the
commencement of new courses of immunisation for their children.
Cases Notified during 1953.
On the following page there is a table showing in summary
form the relevant information regarding the cases notified dining
the year. It will be seen that, of the eight notified cases, one
(a male of 68 years) died as the result of severe and widespread
paralysis involving the muscles of respiration. Of the seven
remaining cases, four had no paralysis of any kind. Of the three
paralytic cases, two are now quite recovered without any disability,
and one has a slight weakness of the muscles of the little finger of the
left hand.
With the exception of the fatal case—the first case of the year—
the infection in the subsequent cases was very mild.
Four times (in 1947, 1949, 1950 and 1952)-since the end of the
last war the number of notified cases of poliomyelitis has reached
double figures ; but in the year under review the number (eight)
is slightly less. Without in any way trying to minimise the danger
or the seriousness of a bad case, I submit this extract from my last
Annual Report:—
"To such an extent have we succeeded in protecting
infancy and childhood from the ravages of the commoner
infectious diseases that used to kill and maim, that the occurrence
of a few cases of poliomyelitis tends to give rise to a fear
among mothers of young children almost amounting to panic."
Mortality.