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7 weeks, some of them being severely affected. It was found,
however, that the case rate was considerably higher among
the small group of children who had never been immunised
and the severe cases occurred among children whose immunisation
dated back longer than five years.
The chief lessons to be learned from this occurrence are
the limited value of the Schick test as a measure of immunity
and the necessity for repeated re-inforcing doses of antigen
until the end of school life.
At the end of this year records in the Public Health
Department s howed that of the children living in the district
aged 0—5 years 47 per cent. have been immunised, and of
the children 5—15 years 81 per cent. have been immunised.
The figures for school children have improved, as recent visits
to schools have shown that many children have been immunised
in other districts. It is also probable that a number of children
under five, for whom no records are available, have been
immunised privately.
The following statistics refer to immunisation carried out
during the year:—
Number of children completing treatment
by M.O.H. during the year (pre-school 420,
school 150) 570
Number of children treated by private doctors
under the Council's scheme 22
Number of Schick tests 1,340
Number of children receiving re-inforcing doses 1,207
Total attendances at Clinic 1,806
CEREP.RO-SPINAL FEVER.
Only one case of cerebro-spinal fever was reported. This
was a girl of five, who made a good recovery.
ACUTE POLIOMYELITIS.
Two cases of acute poliomyelitis in children were reported.
Neither had any connection with the other or apparently with
any other case. Although they recovered from the acute
attack, there was unfortunately a considerable degree of
residual paralysis of the lower limbs in both cases,