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Health Department to exercise adequate control in the prevention
of spread of infection.
The one death recorded from this disease was a man, aged 63
years, who was an in-patient at the North Middlesex Hospital, the
cause of death being:—
(1) Confestive Heart Failure.
(2) Scarlet Fever.
Measles.
The incidence of Measles was much less than in 1945, 592 cases
being notified as compared with 1,088 in the previous year. 31 were
admitted to isolation hospital, and there were two fatal cases.
Whooping Cough.
There were 181 cases notified, 26 occurring under the age of one
year. Four deaths were recorded; and 10 cases with complications
were removed to hospital.
PREVENTION OF WHOOPING COUGH.
Whooping Cough Vaccine Trials.
Since the latter part of the year the Health Department has
co-operated with the Medical Research Council in a special investigation
being undertaken to assess the preventive value of an American
pertussis vaccine (Sauer's vaccine).
The purpose of the investigation is to compare the incidence of
whooping cough in two comparable series of children, one series
receiving Sauer's vaccine and the other a control—anti-catarrhal
vaccine—which contains no H. pertussis.
A large number of children between six months and one year of
age have been inoculated, and they will be kept under close observation
over the next two years, so that a comparison may be made of
the incidence and severity of the disease occurring in both groups.
Full details of the scheme have been explained to the parents of
these children, and it is known that only half the entrants into the
scheme receive the Whooping Cough vaccine. But the parents also
know that each child taking part in the trials will have the advantage
of being visited monthly by a Health Visitor, who will note all
coughs and colds the infant gets and will immediately investigate
any suspicion of whooping cough. By this means, not only will