[Report 1944] / Medical Officer of Health, Pontefract Borough.

  • Pontefract (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1944
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1944] / Medical Officer of Health, Pontefract Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    13/34 page 12
    PART THREE PREVALENCE OF AND CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES 303 cases of disease were notified during 1944, a decrease of 66l on the previous year’s figure which was very high due to the 440 cases of measles occurring in that year. Fortunately, only 8 cases of measles were notified during the period under review. This, to¬ gether with considerable reductions in the figures for chickenpox and whooping cough is mainly responsible for the large decrease; although figures for scarlet fever, diphtheria, pneumonia, puerperal pyrexia, ophthalmia neonatorum, erysipelas and tuberculosis also show lower incidence. Cerebro-spinal fever only has increased; 5 cases, as against two in the previous year. The reduced incidence of scarlet fever and diphtheria is gratifying: the former dropped from 60 to 3&> and 20 cases of diphtheria is a decrease of 32 cases on the 1943 figure. Prompt isolation of cases; investigations into home conditions and possible sources of infection; record¬ ing of contacts and exclusion of children from school and certain types of workers from work places, all helped to control the spread of infection. In the case of diphtheria, however, medical science has provided a means of protection of which, strangely enough, many parents fail to take advantage: immunisation could be the complete answer to diphtheria if every child in the Borough received this protective treatment. At the beginning of the year it was estimated that 39.1% of children under five years, and 78. 77<? of children between five and fifteen years were immunised. During the year 375 children received protective treatment, 3^3 of these being under five years of age. At the close of the year the above-mentioned percentages had risen to 42.1 and 79«3 respectively. As children under 1 year are not generally immunised, 42.1$ of all the under fives represents 53% of those available for treatment. There was 1 death from diphtheria: the child had not been immunised. When comparing the percentages in the different age- groups, it must be remembered that the percentage of school children immunised is contributed to annually by under fives graduating into the 5~15 years group. Every endeavour is made to increase the percentage of children immunised, and particular attention has been directed during the past year to the under fives. There is need for constant publicity, and by means of posters, press notices, leaflets, etc., the claims of immunisation are kept constantly before the public. Each child in the Borough, on attaining the age of 1 year, receives a birthday card from the Department, which includes a reminder to the mother that it is time for the child to be immunised. These efforts will be maintained.
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