Annual report of the Department of Public Health, Province of Alberta.

  • Alberta. Department of Public Health.
Date:
[1950]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Department of Public Health, Province of Alberta. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    19/306 (page 17)
    forcement of immunity given as may be found necessary during school life. An outbreak of Diphtheria in any town or rural district is an indication that effective action has not been taken to protect the children against Diphtheria. No cases of Smallpox were reported in 1950, and no cases of this disease have been reported since 1943. I would like to again point out that there are many areas in the Province in which not more than one-third of the pre-school and school children have been vaccinated against Smallpox. Should this disease appear in such communities, it would spread with amazing speed, and should the outbreak be of the malignant type the results would be tragic in¬ deed. It cannot too often be emphasized that all children should be vaccinated against Smallpox within the first six months of life. Vaccination should be repeated on admission of the child to school and need not again be done excepting when an individual is ex¬ posed to the disease in after-life. In spite of the fact that there has been no Smallpox reported in the Province for seven years, an out¬ break of this serious disease may occur at any time. Smallpox vaccine is provided by the Department free of charge to physicians, local boards of health and local school authorities. In 1950, 2,309 cases of Scarlet Fever and 11 deaths from this cause were reported, as compared with 865 cases and no deaths in 1949. The vast majority of cases were of a mild type, but this should not make us oblivous to the fact that Scarlet Fever may be a mild disease as it affects one individual and serious as it affects another. All persons showing any evidence of the onset of this disease should be promptly isolated, and isolation maintained until the patient may safely be discharged. There were 13 cases of Typhoid Fever and no cases of Para¬ typhoid Fever reported in 1950, the same number as in the previous year. One death was reported from Typhoid Fever in 1950. I wish to again point out that the supervision and control of Typhoid and Paratyphoid carriers is a matter of vital importance to public health. The full co-operation of all local health authorities is essential, not only in the investigation of sources of infection, but also in the supervision and control of Typhoid and Paratyphoid carriers. Constant vigilance in the supervision and control of local water, milk and food supplies is essential for the protection of the community. Pasteurization of milk and milk products carried out under proper supervision is a safeguard of prime importance, pro¬ viding protection not only against Typhoid and Paratyphoid, but also against the other milk-borne diseases. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Poliomyelitis. In 1950, 143 cases of poliomyelitis were reported and 8 deaths occurred from this cause. Sixty-five cases were reported in cities, 47 in towns and villages, and 34 in rural districts. Under the provision for free treatment of persons suffering from paralysis due to poliomyelitis, 53 patients were admitted to the University Hospital, Edmonton, and 23 to the Junior Red Cross Hospital, Calgary. As in previous years, assistance was extended by the Depart¬ ment of Public Welfare by which a number of poliomyelitis patients were enabled to complete academic and secretarial courses and to take vocational training.