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It will be noted that 204 children under 1 year of age were
vaccinated out of 876 children born during the 12 months, i.e. less
than 25%.
In view of the constant danger that smallpox may be introduced
to the country from abroad, since persons are constantly arriving
from areas where this disease is endemic, it is most alarming that
the facilities for infant vaccinations are being used less each
year. This is no doubt partly due to the feeling of security which
the absence of smallpox from this country for a number of years
engenders, but while the constant vigilance of Seaport and Airport
Medical Officers is maintaining this happy state, it is in no way
a surety that persons coming from abroad in the very short time which
is now possible by means of air travel, could not bring with them
dangerous germs which might not be discovered in time to prevent
epidemic disease.
There is a world wide interchange of information concerning the
occurrence of disease wherever it may be and certain areas of the
world are always black spots from which any person arriving in this
country is suspect, but individual cases in areas other than black
spots, or missed cases, might result in the infection of carriers
with no possibility of anyone being aware of the fact.
It has been established that adults going abroad or adults
receiving vaccination on their entry into H. M. Forces are, to a
certain degree, more severely affected by vaccination and more
liable to its complications if they have not previously been
vaccinated in infancy. Parents are not sufficiently aware of this
fact, and the advisability of infant vaccination is constantly
stressed in our Health Propaganda.
Food Poisoning
There were 6 cases of food poisoning notified during the year.
These were notified on symptoms alone. Pathological examination
revealed salmonella typhi-murium as the causative organism in two
cases. In the other four cases no bacterial source was found. The
source of the infecting organism in the two cases mentioned was not
traceable.
Symptoms were not severe in any one case and recovery was rapid.
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