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Two deaths were recorded as due to measles. The total number of
visits paid to the homes by health visitors was 301, while 37 children
were removed to hospital.
Hospital treatment is limited to those suffering from complications
which are usually respiratory or aural. Unfortunately, patients who
have already developed pneumonia do not stand removal to hospital
well. Quite apart from the impossibility of admitting to hospital all
cases notified (in some weeks in this year over 200 notifications were
received) it is usually quite an unnecessary step. It is not the patient
suffering from measles who needs special treatment, but the far rarer
patient suffering from some serious complication of measles. Careful
looking after of children will in most cases avert this. The precautionary
measures then, are the care of those affected and steps to limit the spread
of infection so that at least the very young do not contract the disease.
Serum is obtainable which, in adequate doses, can avert an attack if
given sufficiently early. On the other hand, though, children so treated
soon become susceptible again and almost inevitably will succumb to an
attack later. Unless, then, there is some special reason such as the age of
the child, its illness, or the fact that it is in an institution which makes it
desirable that it should not at that time contract the disease, there is
little point in protecting him in this way.
WHOOPING COUGH.
This disease is another of those which are serious when attacking
children of tender years. It does not exhibit any marked periodicity
comparable to that of measles. In the ordinary way it is not notifiable
but was made so at the same time as measles. Apart from the 8 cases
notified in the last part of 1939, when notification was introduced, the
cases of the years 1940-44 have been 296, 1,259, 468, 468 and 683. Last
year, the incidence was very low, only 220 notifications being received.
The weekly averages for the four quarters of the year were 6, 4, 3 and 3.
No school was affected to any extent.
There were two deaths from whooping cough.
The number of patients suffering from whooping cough who were
removed to hospital for treatment was nine, and the number of visits
paid by the health visitors 57.
Whooping cough, apart from being a most unpleasant complaint, is
dangerous in its immediate risks to life, and in its sequelae, so that it is
understandable that much attention has been devoted to the preparation
of a protective vaccine. Although at intervals encouraging reports
appear on the efficacy of particular preparations, at the moment it does
not seem a vaccine has yet been prepared which achieves certain results.
While, then, a vaccine might be recommended in a particular case or group
of cases, it has not been felt advisable to recommend the undertaking of
arrangements for general inoculation against whooping cough. Quite
apart from the undesirability of such a procedure, the possibility of
repercussion on the diphtheria immunisation scheme would have to be
borne in mind. When an efficient preparation becomes available, as it
undoubtedly will, arrangements will then need to be made for the vaccination
of children at a very early age, as contrasted with the practice in
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