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21
Deaths.
Three deaths occurred from diphtheria during the year, one being
that of a child admitted in 1941. One of the other deaths occurred
amongst those treated in the local hospital, and the other amongst those
treated in an outside hospital.
Immunisation.
The last quarter of the year saw a big increase in the number of
children immunised, so that by the end of the year 7,366 in all had been
treated, this figure including the 1,977 dealt with at the local infant
welfare centres, 713 at the public elementary schools, and 4,676 by the
local medical practitioners. It was calculated that by the end of the
year, of the children under five years of age 42.5 per cent were immunised
and of the children of school age 52.1, the corresponding figures at the
end of the previous year being 25.6 and 31.5.
6,819 children were invited to attend for Schick-testing. Of the
3,913 who attended both the test and the reading, 96 were positive, a
percentage of 2.5. This percentage is the same both for those inoculated
with 0.1 and 0.3 c.c. A.P. T. and those who, in the latter months, would
be receiving 0.2 and 0.5 c.cs.
Of those who were admitted suffering from what was considered to
be diphtheria were six who had received some protective inoculation.
Two of these had received only the one dose of antigen, the one having
received it two weeks before the onset of illness, the other some four
months previously. One boy of nine had been immunised at about one
year of age ; a girl of 12 had been inoculated in 1939 and another of 13
in 1936, none, apparently, having been subsequently Schick-tested. A
boy of 5 who had been immunised was alleged to have been found
Schick-negative in 1939. All these cases were clinically of very mild
character.
Provision of Antitoxin.
47 lots were issued, totalling 372,000 units.
Schools and Spread of Infection.
There were no cases this year in which there was any suggestion
that infection had been contracted in school.
SCARLET FEVER.
Incidence.
630 cases were notified during the year, amongst which were a few
which were errors of diagnosis. 618 cases is an incidence of — per
thousand population, a marked rise on the rate for the last few years (the
local rates for the years 1934-1941 were 4.70, 3.47, 2.64, 2.31, 2.72, 1.60,
1.06, and 1.66) but lower than the average for the country.
In the first quarter of the year the degree of infection was much
the same as in the previous year, a year of relatively low incidence, and
the average weekly incidence was only 5. This figure rose to one of 8
in the second quarter, rising again in the third to 11. A sharp increase
occurred in the last quarter when over twice as many cases were notified
as in the third quarter, the average weekly incidence rising to over 22.