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62
There are 12 households in which secondary cases occurred, only
one in each of 11, two in the other. In three instances, the primary case
was missed. In four instances the interval separating the onset of illness
of the primary home treated case and of the secondary case was three
days or less so that removal of the primary case to hospital would not
have averted onset of illness in the other case. In four instances, though,
the intervals between onsets were over four days (two being six days, one
seven and one 19) and in these instances it might be considered that had
the first case been removed to hospital, the second would not have contracted
the infection. In the one instance in which a secondary case
occurred when the primary case was removed to hospital, the removal
was carried out on the second day of illness of the primary case which
was the day of onset of illness in the other. Apart from these cases there
were two instances in which two members of a family succumbed at the
same time, each presumably on each occasion having contracted the
infection together and not from the other.
There were no return cases this year.
In one instance a child developed scarlet fever shortly after having
had his tonsils removed.
Attendance at school seemed to have played little part in the spread
of infection in this district in the last year. There were a few groupings of
cases which were suggestive ; for instance over a period of two weeks in
February where there were seven cases of scarlet fever amongst the pupils
of Stag Lane Infants' School, and in three weeks in May five cases amongst
those at the Belmont Infants' School. Then in December there were
three cases of infection amongst the pupils of a small private preparatory
school.
SMALLPOX
There were no occasions in 1953 on which persons in the district
had been suspected of being contacts of patients suffering from smallpox.
In this district last year 1,836 persons were vaccinated for the first
time. Of these 1,283 were under one year of age and 154 were over one
but under two years of age. 559 persons were re-vaccinated. 2,614
babies were born. The number of vaccinations of those under one year
of age were therefore 49% of the births. This figure compares with that
of 30.7 of the country as a whole in 1952, a figure which was an improvement
on those of 23.8 and 29.6 for the years 1950 and 1951. Of the
vaccinations of those under one year of age, 293 were performed at the
local infant welfare centre sessions.
Although in the campaign in favour of vaccination against smallpox,
most emphasis should be laid on the desirability of all children
being vaccinated in infancy, because the protection given to so many
wanes, it is most desirable that the importance of re-vaccination should be
stressed. Smallpox inevitably will be introduced into this country.
Those who come into contact with such patients who are themselves
inadequately protected by vaccination against the risk of contracting the
infection are liable to succumb ; each such person is then a further source
of infection to others. If on the other hand, those who come into contact