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61
2. It should be remembered that the administration of gammaglobulin
to a mother in the early months of pregnancy where
there is a risk of contracting German Measles only protects her
for three weeks at the most.
INFLUENZA
Immunisation.
The present position regarding this is that while the protection
conferred by immunisation is of brief duration (about 3-6 months) there
is a case for immunising certain groups of the population in whom a
contact of influenza might aggravate their disability or prove fatal. Such
groups include:—
(a) Chronic Lung disease, e.g. chronic bronchitis, asthma,
bronchiectasis, pulmonary tuberculosis.
(b) Chronic heart disease.
(c) Chronic kidney disease.
(d) Diabetes and possibly other endocrine disorders.
The only type of vaccine recommended is an inactivated influenza
A+B Saline vaccine, and it should be given during the early part of the
autumn.
VENEREAL DISEASES
In the Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry
of Health for 1960 it was suggested that perhaps half of the increase in
these diseases was due to infection and to re-infection of immigrants.
Since the introduction of the Commonwealth Immigration Act in July
1962 the previous flood of immigrants to this country has become a trickle.
It will be interesting to see what effect, if any, this Act has on the
prevalence of these diseases.