[Report 1957] / Medical Officer of Health, Neath Borough.

  • Neath (Wales). Borough Council.
Date:
1957
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1957] / Medical Officer of Health, Neath Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    9/48 (page 7)
    POLIOMYELITIS. Only one case of poliomyelitis was reported in 1957. This was of tfm non-paralytic type. The scheme for the immunising of children against the disease with the Salk, or British vaccine, is proceeding satisfactorily now. The scheme has been extended to include all children up to 15 years of age and also to expectant mothers. The reason for the inclusion of expectant mothers as a priority class, is that research statistics show that when poliomyelitis does attack expectant mothers the consequences may be grave. Out of the 10,000 children, whose parents requested vaccination, nearly 7,000 have been protected. TUBERCULOSIS. During the year 35 cases of Pulmonary and four cases of Non-pulmonary Tuberculosis were notified. This compares with 29 cases of Pulmonary Tuberculosis notified last year. There were three deaths. There has been much publicity of late of the declining death rate from tuberculosis and of the empty beds in tuberculosis hospitals. This is perfectly true and makes pleasant reading. Nevertheless, we must not be lulled into a sense of false security that the battle is over. The disease is still with us. There has been no great reduction in the numbers of new cases notified to us each year. Indeed, this year, as you will have noticed, the actual number of new cases exceeds those of last year by ten. The reason for the empty beds is due to the fact that the disease is being diagnosed at an earlier stage and chest physicians are able to treat their patients in their own homes. On the other hand, we cannot but feel optimistic about the future B.C.G. VACCINATION The scheme for protecting children of school leaving age was introduced at the Gnoll, Cwrt Sart and Pencaerau Secondary Schools, and also at St. Joseph's Primary School. The parents of 332 children were asked to give their consent for their children to be vaccinated against Tuberculosis if this was iound to be necessary 176 parents signed the consent forms, but in only 132 cases was the vaccine given, the others being Mantoux positive. I cannot stress too strongly the importance of this preventive vaccination It has been proved conclusively that B.C.G. vaccination does confer a larg° amount of protection against Tuberculosis. In my opinion it is by such methods that the disease can be stamped out.