View report page

27
From an administrative point of view, we are not concerned with the measures
adopted inside the school for the prevention of an epidemic. The usual methods
were adopted. Children suffering from the disease and all those coming from an
infected household were excluded from attending the infants' department ; in the
boys and girls' departments, children suffering from the disease and those coming
from an infected household who had not previously suffered from an attack were
excluded from school attendance.
In passing, one might remark that the information as to a previous attack of
Measles in children attending an adult school in this district is far from reliable.
In a majority of instances, in practical working, when it is known by notification
that Measles has entered the infants, department of a school, it is too late to
take any effectual precautionary measures.
School closure has probably more frequently taken place on account of epidemics
of Measles than for any other disease ; but as the closure has been commonly deferred
until a large proportion of the children are already absent, it has proved useless, for
the purpose of preventing the spread of the disease. In view of this experience, a
class closure of short duration after the occurrence of the first case of Measles in the
class has been substituted ; but even temporary closure of the department or of
a class only temporarily delays further extension of the disease.
Of the 76 London County Council Elementary Day Schools and non-provided
schools maintained by the County Council in the Borough of Stepney, Measles was
so prevalent that in 43 of them the infants' department had to be closed, or the
unprotected children were excluded from them for some time during the year. These
measures had to be repeated on a second occasion in 11 of the schools, on three
occasions in 7 schools, on four occasions in 1 school, and on five occasions in another
school.