Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1920-09-23
Whooping-cough Epidemic
To the Editor of the
Essex County Herald:

AS d result Ol CIlc 1CSCllV III
vestigation of the Whooping
Cough situation in Island Pond
it was found that quite a large
number of cases were both un-
quarantined and unreported.
Through negligence on part
of some parents a great many
children have been needlessly
exposed to one of the most dan
gerous of the contagious disea
ses. Many parent do not look
upon Whooping-Cough as a Sc
rious disease and seem to feel
that their children should have
it while they are young. AS a
matter Of fact there are more
deaths every year resulting
from Whooping+ Cough than
from Scarlet Fever and Dipthe
ria combined. This disease is
rarely contracted by an adult
hence it may be seen that if it
is avoided during childho ID,
in ALL probability it will never
be contracted.
The investigation also show
that this failure to comply
with the law was due in most
cases to ignorance on the part
of the parents Of the serious
ness of the disease and the
Laws governing quarantine OF
all contagious diseases. Altho
this ignorance does not excuse
the offenders in the eyes of
the Law and each offender has
laid himself liable to prosecu-
ton, it is thought that if this
matter is overlooked at this
time and the Law thoroughly
brought before the public, an
other situation like this maay
be entirely avoided.
Any thinking Public cannot
fail to realize that from an &C.
onomic standpoint alone, con-
tagious disease should be
checked inasmuch as sickness
is the most expensive thing
with which we have to deal.
but the immediate danger to
the child's life and the far
reaching after-effects which
come from many of the conta-
gious diseases often leaving
the child incapacitated in one
way or another, is of much
greater Importance than econ
omic conditions. Strict quar-
antine is the only mehtod of
checking contagious disease
and public cooperation is nee
essary.
A brief summary Of the Re-
gulations governing quaran-
tine and release are:
l. A physician called to attend
a case or a suspected case of
communicable disease is re-
quired by law to give quaran-
tine notice to Head of Family
to placard the house and to re-
port the case to the Health Off
Ger at once.
2. When no physician is in at
tendance in case or suspected
case of communicable disease,
the Head of the Family is re-
quired by law to instute quar-
antine, to put up a placard and
to report the case to the Health
Officer at once.
3. No family will be released
from quarantine except by the
Health Officer.
4. No family will be released
except on receipt of this card
properly filled out and certified
to by the Head of the family.
5. In families where more thar
one person haas been sick with
a communicable disease, indiv
dual releases may be obtained
by applying to the Health Off
GER.
6. No child will be allowed tC
return to school unless he pre-
sents to the teacher a certifi
cate of release signed by the
Health Officer.
Failure of the physician OF
the Head of the Family to re
port cases or suspected cases {
communicable disease or fail
ure Of the Head Of the Famil!
to comply with quarantine re
gulations renders the offende,
liable to prosecution.
Vermont State Board of Healtl
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