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Month of age
9th Formol diphtheria toxoid (F.T.)—first dose
10th „ „ „ „ —second dose
11th No injections
12th Pertussis vaccine—third dose.
5th year — Formol diphtheria toxoid (F.T.) first reinforcing
dose.
10th year— Formol diphtheria toxoid (F.T.) second reinforcing
dose.
Scarlet fever.
69 cases of scarlet fever were notified during the year, as
against 19 cases in 1956 and 30 cases in 1955.
It must again be stressed that the character of scarlet fever has
altered materially, so much so that the disease is now mild in almost
every instance, no complications or sequelae having been reported.
We must always bear in mind, however, the possibility of the more
serious type of scarlet fever returning. To be perfectly frank, this
is the sole reason which I can see for scarlet fever continuing to
figure in the list of notifiable infectious diseases.
In view of the extremely mild character of the cases of this
disease now being met, it is no longer considered necessary to
exclude contacts of scarlet fever from school. Here again, of
course, this procedure would have to be amended if a different type
of scarlet fever made its appearance.
We no longer consider it necessary to exclude home contacts
of scarlet fever from school. This is in keeping with modern
practice which is based on the known fact that the exclusion of
home contacts of most infectious diseases from school makes little
or no difference to the infectious sickness rate for the district.
Thus, virtually the only common infectious disease for which there
is still an exclusion period is poliomyelitis. One must, of course,
continue to exclude contacts of such dangerous contagious diseases
as smallpox, where the role of the intimate contact is rather
different. We also continue to exclude known 'carriers' of diseaseproducing
germs, after this fact has been definitely established.
Acute Anterior Poliomyelitis.
9 cases of paralytic poliomyelitis were notified during the year,
as against 5 paralytic and 2 non-paralytic cases during 1956. There
were no cases of non-paralytic poliomyelitis during 1957. In all but
one of the nine cases, the disease occurred in chidren ranging from
2 to 14 years of age. Fortunately in all these cases the illness was
not too severe, although three of the children had eventually to be
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