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During 1955 seven hundred and ninety three children were
immunised and their ages at the date of immunisation were as
follows:-
Age Under 1 1 2 3 4 5-9 10-14 Over 15 Total
Number 428 239 37 14 11 62 - 2 793
A survey at the end of 1955 of the state of immunisation of
nine hundred and fifty nine babies born in 1954 showed that five
hundred and forty six, representing 57 per cent, had been
immunised. Of the children under five years of age, two thousand
five hundred and ninety seven, representing 57 per cent. had
been immunised. Of the school children of five to fourteen years
of age, six thousand eight hundred and twenty eight, representing
61 per cent. had been immunised and sufficiently reinforced and
two thousand three hundred and sixty three, representing 21 per
cent, previously immunised required further reinforcement.
During 1955 five hundred and eighty two reinforcing injections
were given.
Measles One thousand and thirty nine cases were notified.
This compares with one hundred and seventy cases in 1954, The
case rate was 13,21 per thousand of population, compared with
15.61 per thousand of population for England and Wales. There
was one death of a weakly child aged seven years.

After a period of quiescence for eight months, Measles
increased in prevalence in January, rose to epidemic proportions
in March and April and declined slowly during the Summer. The
epidemic was severe and widespread. Four hundred and sixty four
infants, including twenty babies under one year were affected.
Measles is a debilitating illness and opens the way for
secondary infection. Two children died of Broncho-Pneumonia
subsequent to Measles. Occasionally a child may not react
adequately to the virus infection. The young baby and the
weakly child should be protected from acquiring infection in so
far as this is possible. Gamma Globulin will prevent or modify
the illness if injected early in the incubation period. A
limited quantity of Gamma Globulin is available to medical
practitioners for cases where there is special risk. Careful
nursing and careful convalescence are essential.
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