Warning about immunisations

Press, 22 December 1978, Page 2

Warning about immunisations

I The Department of Health in Christchurch has warned (parents about the dangers of adopting a complacent attitude towards immunising their young children against diptheria, whooping cough, tetanus, and polio. i The main reasons for the (present low incidence of (these diseases was the use of vaccines, said the Deputy Medical Officer of Health i(Dr M. A. Brieseman). i “This allows some people to feel that these diseases do not exist; but unfortunatey (this is not true,” he said. ( ‘The diseases do exist, and will reappear, as evidenced by the recent rise in the number of cases of polio seen amongst a group in the Netherlands who refused immunisation on religious grounds.” Any small risk from complications with a vaccination could be minimised by excluding those with a predisposing factor, he said. “Certainly the advantages of immunisation against what have been in the past scourges of childhood far outweigh any risks involved in the procedure,” said Dr Brieseman. “Unless the levels of immunity are kept high, there is a risk that these diseases

will return to be a serious problem. “This would appear to be happening to some extent with the occurrence of whooping cough at present in the Christchurch district,” Dr Brieseman said. A Titahi Bay boy, aged three, who was a close contact of a ’Hastings typhoid victim, is being kept under surveillance by a local doctor, according to the Press Association yesterday. Wellington’s Deputy Medical Officer of Health (Dr Ellie Garden) said that the boy was located on Wednesday. Blood and waste specimens had been taken for laboratory analysis yesterday and would be taken again today. The boy would also be watched by a local doctor in case he showed any symptoms of the disease. i

i Dr Garden said she would be very surprised if the boy, : who was staying in Titahi Bay on holiday, had typhoid. ’ She said she would know by the middle of next week. There was little risk for the family he was staying ( 1 with. They were not at risk ■ unless he actually had ty- . phoid, and even then they were not at risk if hygiene was good. , An important hygiene precaution was the washing of hands after going to the lavatory, especially before : preparing food. The child’s contact, a, young man living in Hastings, was found on Monday to have typhoid. He had been suffering from abdomi-, nal pains for two weeks. , A total of 19 contacts are . being kept under surveil- | lance — 18 in three homes , in Hastings. j