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53
Whooping Cough.
No notifications of whooping cough were recorded during the year.
This is the first time, since whooping cough was designated and recorded
as a notifiable infectious disease in 1940, that no such notifications
have been received. While we are encouraged by the continued low incidence
of the disease since 1958, which is considered to be one of the
most serious of childhood illnesses, this can only be due to immunisation
procedure early in life when practically 100% of infants are immunised
against whooping cough in conjunction with diphtheria and tetanus.

Enteric Fever (Typhoid or Paratyphoid).
There were no oases of typhoid or paratyphoid B notified in Kingston
during 1961 and this is the fourteenth successive year without notification
of enteric fever.
Measles,
There were 447 cases of measles notified during 1961 compared with
8 in 1960. All were of a mild type and nursed at home. (See also page iii).
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
No cases of ophthalmia neonatorum occurred during 1961.
Puerperal Pyrexia.
The maternity block at Kingston Hospital serves Kingston and a
large surrounding area embracing a population of some 285,000 persons.
Curing 1961, 1,972 deliveries took place in the hospital, and inevitably
some cases of puerperal pyrexia occurred, all of which were notified to
the Medical Officer of Health of Kingston in accordance with the regulations
which define the illness as a febrile condition occurring in a
woman in whom a temperature of 100.4°F, or more has occurred within
fourteen days after childbirth or miscarriage.