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44
Small Pox
No case of small pox was notified during the year 1944.
Scarlet Fever
The number of cases of scarlet lever notified during the year
was 97, as compared with 212 in 1943, equivalent to a case rate
of 1.9 per 1,000 population. The disease has continued mild
in character and no deaths due to this cause were recorded.
Of the total number of cases notified 74 were treated in hospital,
and 23 cases were treated at home.
The patient's home was disinfected after his removal to
hospital or his release from isolation, but steam disinfection of
the bedding has been discontinued as a routine procedure.
Diphtheria
Ten cases were notified during the year and all the
cases were removed to hospital for treatment. All the contacts
are swabbed as a routine measure, and school contacts supervised
by the staff of the school medical service.
Diphtheria Immunisation
Efforts have continued during the year to obtain the
immunisation of every child before his second birthday. A birthday
greeting letter is sent on the first birthday, making an
appointment for immunisation, and three clinics are available,
so that no mother is beyond easy walking distance of a clinic.
The health visitors have urged the mothers at the welfare centres
and when making home visits, to have their children immunised,
and have made special visits in difficult cases.
Immunisation has been continued at the schools, although
large numbers have been immunised during evacuation. All the
non-immunised children at the Day Nurseries were immunised
after admission, and there has been no case of diphtheria in the
nurseries.
The following figures show the number of children immunised
during the year:—