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attack develops, one in which there is no whoop, and this might not be
recognised for some days, with the result that the child is up and about
and can spread the infection to others. This risk points to the added
desirability of all children being given this vaccination. Because infants
of the youngest ages are susceptible to attack on exposure, and because
it is such a serious complaint when it occurs in the very young, it is most
desirable that babies even of the tenderest ages should receive this projection.
The treatment of the older child does something to protect the
infant because in a proportion of those treated absolute protection is given
at least for a while, so that they, even though exposed to infection, will
not take the disease into the house and give it to the younger children.
However, because only a proportion are given this absolute protection
and so many develop only partial resistance, it is as well for infants to
be inoculated against whooping cough at a very early age.
Those attending the clinics can be treated. For much of the year
they had been given the combined preparation to protect them against
whooping cough and against diphtheria. During the year 2,026 children
were treated, 1,083 by general medical practitioners and 943 at the clinics.
The fall in the number treated compared with 2,184 of the previous year,
is probably due to the introduction during the year of the arrangements
by which combined preparations were not used.
PUERPERAL INFECTION
Only one person delivered in the district was notified as suffering from
puerperal infection, a woman who, delivered in a nursing home, developed
phlebitis.
OPHTHALMIA NEONATORIUM
No cases of ophthalmia neonatorium were notified relating to infants
in this district in 1957.
NON-NOTIFIABLE INFECTIONS
Knowledge of the prevalence of some of the infections which are not
notifiable in this district is obtained from intimations received from the
head teachers about the absence of children from school.
Chicken Pox
495 intimations of chicken pox were received during the year. Most
of these related to children from two schools in the first term of the year,
and five schools in the last term. The schools attacked in the first term
leaped later in the year. Almost all schools had some cases, but most
only very few.
Mumps
1,084 intimations were received of children attending the primary
schools suffering from mumps. These were almost limited to the first half
of the year, March being the month when most were affected. Almost
every school had some cases; one had more than 100 and seven had
between 50 and 100 cases.