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9
PREVALENCE OF AND CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS
AND OTHER DISEASES.
SCARLET FEVER.
The number of cases of scarlet fever notified during the year
was fifty-two, giving an incidence rate of 1.14 per thousand
population. This compares with a rate of 1.53 for England and
Wales.
All the cases were very mild and no fatalities occurred.
Twenty-four cases were treated at home and twenty-eight removed
to Hospital.
DIPHTHERIA.
For the fifth year in succession the district was completely
free from this disease, the last case having been notified in April,
1947.
Immunisation against diphtheria progresses smoothly and
although the majority of parents are now accepting it as a matter
of course there is a decline in the number being immunised.
Special efforts are made to encourage mothers to bring their babies
for immunisation in those cases where persuasion by the health
visitor has failed. A note is made of every child aged ten months
and older who has not been immunised and the parents of these
babies are circularised in regard to the importance of immunisation
against diphtheria. In many cases this personally addressed
circular succeeds where other methods of encouragement have
failed. The object of the campaign is to secure the immunisation
of not less than seventy-five per cent of babies before their first
birthday.
Under the National Health Service Act all medical practitioners
providing general medical services in the area have been
given an opportunity to provide services in the scheme. This
has resulted in a number of children being immunised otherwise
than at schools or clinics.
The following statistics refer to immunisation carried out
during the year:—
Number of children immunised during the year
(pre-school 395, school 58) 453
Number of children receiving reinforcing doses 671
Of the above 141 were immunised and 64 given reinforcing
doses by Medical Practitioners.