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A survey at the end of 1959 of the state of immunisation of
the one thousand and thirty five babies born in 1958 showed that
six hundred and eighty four, representing 66 per cent., had been
immunised. Of the children under five years of age, three
thousand and sixty, representing 63 per cent., had been immunised.
Of the school children of five to fourteen years of age, four
thousand five hundred and ninety, representing 44 per cent., had
been effectively immunised by receiving primary or reinforcing
injections within the past five years; and three thousand eight
hundred and sixteen, representing 36 per cent., who had been
previously immunised, were in need of reinforcement.
Measles. Thirteen hundred and six cases were notified in
1959, compared with one hundred and thirty cases in 1958. The
case rate was 16.49 per thousand of population. There was no
death. One thousand and seventy one of the cases were notified
during the first quarter of the year.

Measles cases must be kept out of school for ten days after
the appearance of the rash and may then return if the child is
sufficiently well to do so.
Contacts are not excluded except the under fives, who should
be excluded for fourteen days from the date of appearance of the
rash in the last case in the home.
However, all contacts should be carefully scrutinised dally
before being allowed to go to school and should be excluded if
suffering from a cough, cold, chill or red eyes. No child who is
known for certain to have had the disease need be excluded.
The illness can be prevented or modified by the injection of
gamma globulin early in the incubation period. A small quantity
is available to doctors for cases of special risk. Health
Visitors are informed of notified cases of children under five
years of age so that they may give advice where necessary.
Whooping Cough. Thirty cases were notified in 1959, compared
with fourteen cases in 1958. The case rate was 0.38 per thousand
of population. There was no death. Over half the cases were
notified in the second quarter of the year.
Sixteen of the cases were infants under five years of age
and one was under one year.
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